We Will Always Be Enemies
by waystatus
Summary: Rachel Tower, granddaughter of the G.U.N. Commander, was born the same night the moon was blown up by the Eclipse Cannon. Sixteen years have passed and she's grown to hate an evil monster named Shadow the Hedgehog. But what happens when Shadow returns, and takes her as his hostage? ShadowxOC
1. A Simple Flashback

**Chapter Revised: [x]**

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><p>We Will Always Be Enemies<p>

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><p>Flashback: (9 years ago)<p>

"Hey, Grandpa? I was just wondering, how come we are the only people you call family?" I said. "Don't you have a mommy or daddy, or sisters or brothers? What about aunts and uncles? Where'd they all go?"

As soon as I asked him this, my grandpa's face turned grim. I immediately regretted asking him. But at the same time, I wanted to know. I had never seen him around anyone but me, my parents, and my brother and sister. And also, I've heard my mom tell my dad that the only time he ever smiled or showed true contentment was when he spent time with all of us. I wanted to know a bit more about his past.

"Oh Rachel," he said, his tone was stone hard. "It's very complicated. I'll tell you one of these days, but right now you should go to bed. It's getting late."

I shook my head. "No, grandpa, I don't care. I'm not tired at all. And I don't want to wait 'til one of these days. Tell me now. Please? Pretty please?"

He let out a rigid sigh. "I might get in trouble for telling you. It's a grown up story."

I smiled sweetly. "I can handle it! And I won't tell anybody! Pinky swear." I help up my little pinky and flicked it towards him. He just sat there staring at me, looking very uncomfortable. But I was so curious, I couldn't wonder anymore. It seemed a little unhealthy. Besides, maybe telling someone would help him feel better. You never know.

Finally, he gave in and held up his pinky and curled it around mine, biting the inside of his mouth. My eyes lit up and I scooted closer, waiting to hear the story.

He clicked the mute button on the T.V. in front of us and gave me a very serious glare. "Rachel, I want you to know that I love you. I love you, your sister Emma, your brother Travis, your mother and father, and I still love my wife Cheryl, even if she's not here with us anymore. I love you all more than you'll ever understand. But, something that makes that love stronger is the loss that I've had to endure up to this point. I want you to know that I know what it's like to lose the ones you care about. The feeling...is definitely the worst one I have ever experienced. It makes you feel cold…and empty. I took many drastic measures in order to fill those holes that were forming inside me, metaphorically of course. I know you don't know what that feels like and hopefully you never will. But when I was around your age, and please don't repeat this...I lost everything I had, including my family. They were _murdered_."

My eyes widened. I may have been only seven years old, but I knew what murder was. I kept my mouth shut and let him continue.

He sighed. "You know that I'm the military leader, the highest ranking commander of G.U.N." He gestured around the room, where badges were framed along the walls. "But, it was in fact G.U.N. soldiers that took my family away from me. If you remember the man called Dr. Robotnik, the one that blew up the moon and tried to dominate the world years ago...ahh I don't think you'll believe me when I tell you this..."

I bounced up and down on the couch cushion. Now I was really interested. I was about to learn more about the day I was born. The day that all humans had feared for their lives. "I'll believe you, Grandpa. I will. I will."

He sighed again. "I know that you're very interested in space and the wonders of the galaxy. Well Rachel, my family and I went into outer-space when I was a just a boy. I swear, we did. We went aboard a large vessel known as the Space Colony ARK, also known as the very first space colony in the world. It was housed for scientific testing and experimentation. One scientist aboard, named Gerald Robotnik, was notably the one who created the most inventions. He was Dr. Robotnik's grandpa."

Now my mouth had fallen open. My grandpa had gone into space…with an ancestor of the evil Dr. Robotnik! That was a lot to absorb.

He continued. "Now, usually the things he created were amazing. He had a very advanced knowledge of science. We never saw much of him, but I did become best friends with his granddaughter. Her name was Maria Robotnik, and she had to have been the sweetest girl I ever met. She was a few years older than me, but we still got along very well. We played together all the time, because we were the only children on the ARK. I asked her if she and I could continue being friends once we were back on Earth, but it turns out she had a disease that conflicted with Earth's atmosphere. So she had no choice but to stay. Our only time together would be up there above the planet."

I raised my eyebrows. "Wow, lucky girl! She got to live in outer-space!"

He shook his head. "No Rachel. I don't think you quite get it. She was miserable. She wanted to go visit our planet more than anything. All she ever did was look at it from the windows. Her grandfather, Gerald Robotnik, was putting all his time and research into looking for a cure that would rid her of the disease. That was his top priority. He loved her too much to watch her life waste away, with her being outside the world she truly belonged in."

I was about to say something else, but he began talking immediately, now looking somewhat angry.

"We were playing together one day. We'd gotten into another game of tag. And once it was my turn to be it, she took off running and I went chasing after her. But then, I stumbled upon the experimental room, and I...I...I..."

He looked sick.

"...I...I witnessed...the creation of this...this...awful monster. All my worst nightmares...coming true right then and there. The true essence of evil. Gerald Robotnik...he...created him...and he never should have...oh God that was his biggest mistake."

I grabbed his arm. "Grandpa? Are you okay? Tell me, what did he create? Please tell me? And why was it so bad?"

He placed a hand over mind, beginning to shake with rage. "Rachel…it was terrible. He created the Ultimate Life Form...Shadow the Hedgehog. He was the center of a project, known as Project Shadow."

I just stared at him with a puzzled expression. "What? S-Shadow...the Hedgehog? I know there's a Sonic the Hedgehog…was that like his brother?"

"No, I'm not talking about Sonic. Sonic had not been born yet. Remember, this was over fifty years ago. And Sonic is a hero to us. Shadow the Hedgehog is our _villain_. Do you understand? He was a synthetic life-form who was supposed to be immortal, meaning he couldn't die, and not to mention extremely powerful. But he was the very reason everyone I knew and loved was killed aboard the ARK.

At first, I didn't like him because he stole Maria from me. They always spent time together, and I became a tad jealous of their relationship. Even when she and I had some time to ourselves, Shadow would appear and she would instantly go off with him. Everyone regarded him as a successful experiment. But I knew he was a monster. I even confronted Maria, warning her that he was dangerous. But she disregarded it, claiming that everything would be okay since her grandfather could never invent something _bad_, and continued being his friend. I don't see how she did it though. Shadow was a cold, quiet, and mysterious being. I also found him terrifying. But maybe that was the older side of her shining through. Even then, she was only twelve."

My eyes flickered with interest. "Grandpa. I get that he wasn't very fun to be around. He doesn't sound fun either. But why was it his fault that...you...you know...your family...uh…"

He understood was I was saying, and his features grew hard again. The wrinkles on his face seemed to deepen slightly, and he took a huge swallow of air.

"G.U.N. learned of his power, and found him to be a potential threat against the government. They went to capture him, and ended up killing anyone who was associated with Project Shadow out of fear that the information would spread. My family had only known about it, but never became involved. The soldiers still executed them. I wasn't there to see it, but me and only a few others managed to escape. Everyone else was left behind. As for Shadow, they never caught him. Maria gave her life to help him escape. After she'd been shot, she helped release him through an escape pod that landed on Earth, and died shortly after. But G.U.N. soldiers found Shadow on Earth and brought him back to their base on Prison Island, where he spent 50 years in suspended animation inside of a vault. They were using him as their top secret weapon. Dr. Robotnik found him after discovering some of his grandfather's research, and freed him.

Now I was frowning with rage. "That's so horrible! It really was all his fault! Did this Shadow guy feel bad that everyone died because of him? I know I would."

Grandpa shook his head. "No. After his awakening, he proceeded with harming and even killing more innocent humans. He claimed it was all to avenge Maria, but that was a sorry excuse. If he wanted to do her death justice, he should've gone and ended his own life. But no. Instead, he went about causing havoc, and also aided the aliens who invaded us years ago, the Black Arms, and played a part in their plot to destroy the planet as well, even though it failed and he ended up rebelling against them. He still had his own personal wishes to wipe out the entire human race. I deployed many troops to find him and stop him, but he severely injured, if not killed every last one of them."

Now I was furious. "You've got to be kidding me! Innocent people died because of him, and then he takes more lives. That's crazy. That's purely evil. So...what happened to him? Where is he now?"

"No one knows. He hasn't been located on Earth, so it's possible he's in an entirely different galaxy."

"Good," I said with venom. "I have never seen him in my life and I already hate his guts."

For the first time since the conversation started, my grandpa smiled. "You'll never have to see him darling. I don't have a picture or anything. But I do have one of Maria though. Care to see?"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, unfolding it and flipping through the tabs. He then reached in and pulled out a family picture of me, my fraternal twin siblings, and my parents, beaming when he saw it. We all looked so happy, and were genuinely smiling instead of forcing grins like usual. He then reached behind it and pulled out a hidden old, sepia picture. The edges were browning, and the photo itself looked extremely aged. He handed it to me and I fumbled with it between my fingers.

Although the picture had no color, I could tell the girl in it was blonde. It was just her in the picture, sitting by a large window. Behind her outside the window, was a spaceship view of Earth, along with lots of stars. The girl's hands were crossed over one another as they rested on the outside of her dress. Her blonde hair was long and spilled over her shoulders. Her eyes were big and glassy, and had a unique sparkle to them. I smiled at how gentle she looked, but then my smile disappeared when I realized that this girl was dead. All because of the hedgehog who she thought was her friend. He was the sole reason she was killed.

"Wow...she really is pretty..." I sighed out loud. My grandpa nodded and took the picture from me. "I know. I miss her every day."

He looked up and stared blankly ahead. "I know I'm the G.U.N. commander now, but that's simply because I wanted to help find that abomination of a hedgehog and bring him to justice. Another part of it was to pay homage to Gerald Robotnik. He would've wanted his creation to be punished for the death of his granddaughter. I'm sure of it."

I nodded in agreement. I hated this Shadow the Hedgehog. He took away many innocent people's lives, including the family and friends of my own grandfather. I could never forgive him for what he's done. Though, I don't think anyone could.

After Grandpa bid me goodnight, I went to the guest bedroom, where my baby siblings were sleeping in two spare cribs. I crawled into bed, turning off the lamp and resting my head down on the fluffy pillow. I stared up at the ceiling, taking in all the information I had just learned about my grandpa's past. One simply story had become a series of unveiled secrets. And now, I had learned about the monster that plagued him, and so many others with sadness.

_Shadow the Hedgehog...wherever you are now...know that you have one more person against you. I will never forgive you for what you've done to everyone...to my grandpa...to Maria...to everyone aboard the ARK. You're a sick and evil monster who should've never been created from the start. You deserve to burn in H-E-double hockey stick._' I thought fiercly, still trying to keep from using a cuss word.

_I hope I never come across the likes of you. If you haven't already, I want you to die._

And with those hostile thoughts, I fell asleep.


	2. Rachel Tower, Shadow the Hedgehog

**Chapter Revised [x]**

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><p><strong>(Rachel's POV)<strong>

The sound of loud splashing and laughter could be heard nearby. The number of people in the shallow pool was quickly depleting, as time got later and later.

It was a Friday night, and my parents had decided to treat me and my twin brother and sister to a fun-filled day at the world renowned Twinkle Park. We'd arrived earlier that afternoon, and had been here approximately seven hours. I remember that the first thing we did was ride Go-Karts, which was usually the first thing we did everytime we came here. It was the Tower Family's Twinkle Park tradition.

I always loved the way the karts hovered, as opposed to being restricted to wheels, and how the race track took place in a black void that resembled outer-space. Everyone knew how much I loved outer-space. But what's not to love? It was so beautiful.

At the end of this particular race, I came in second place, and my Dad placed first. (No surprise there) We then rode some rides throughout the park and took a walk through all the attractions. Now we were done with the thrill, and simply relaxed by the pool while my parents sat together and ordered drinks at the cabana.

I opened my eyes, feeling somewhat like I was in a dreaming state. My body was sprawled across a lawn chair. I inhaled a deep breath and looked up. The summer air was surprisingly clear tonight, so instead of a sky filled with gray smog, it was peppered with blinking stars, and even a few flowing cascades of blue and violet that must have been blossoming from space. It almost felt like I was viewing the galaxy from a spaceship. It made me smile.

My name is Rachel Tower. I'm sixteen years old. I have dark brown hair and green eyes. My birthday is July 1st, which was pretty recent actually. But it isn't just an ordinary day with cake and lit candles. My birthday was on a day that literally everyone on the planet knew about. No, it wasn't a holiday, with fireworks or anything along those lines. In fact, it was hardly something to celebrate. I was born the day the world nearly ended.

According to my mom, while she was giving birth to me, a T.V. in the hospital room she was residing in flashed to life and a man known as Dr. Ivo Robotnik let the world know that he would soon be taking control of the planet and would rise his own empire, enslaving the entire population. My mother says she was already panicked enough at the time, since I was her first child and she had never given birth before. And it was hard for her to stay conscious through the agonizing pain. But she understood the extent of the situation. She didn't want to bring me into a world where this evil mastermind was going to be our ruler. Not like she really had a choice though.

Nonetheless, she said that shortly afterwards, the moon was blown up by some sort of laser from space. It was that moment when half the moon shattered, that I came into the world screaming.

I could see the moon from where I lay now. Half of it was made of its natural moon rock, and the other had been reconstructed with some sort of tiled metal. It was so interesting to watch. To think that the real moon had been destroyed the very second I was born, and never existed in my lifetime. This was the moon I would see for as long as I lived. It was a little depressing, but still managed to leave me awe-struck every time.

The last important fact that should be known about me, is I was the granddaughter of the G.U.N. commander Abraham Tower, whose base was located in Westopolis. He was my paternal grandfather, and we got along very well. Years ago, when I was about seven, he told me the entire story of his past and how he had lived in a space colony known as the ARK. That was the day that I learned about a creature known as Shadow the Hedgehog.

_Ugh_...I shivered at the thought of his name. Shadow the Hedgehog, a.k.a. the heartless monster that brought so many innocent people to their deaths. He completely ruined my grandpa's life, as well as many others. Although I knew I never had the chance to meet him, I couldn't help but loathe the very thought of him just from hearing what he'd done to us. The worst part was, I had no idea what he looked like. Every picture ever captured of him had been taken down by the government around the same time as the Black Arm invasion.

So far, I pictured in my head that he was like our beloved Sonic the Hedgehog in nearly every way, since you know, they were both hedgehogs. Same eye color, voice, quills, shoes. Not very original, I had to admit.

The only difference was I always saw him having all black fur. His name was Shadow after all.

_Shadow…such a dark...mysterious...unforgiving word._

"Rachel! Come on! Get in the water!" I heard my little sister Emma shout from inside the pool, right before she was dunked underneath by her twin brother, Travis. "Yeah, don't wimp out! It feels great!"

I rolled my eyes to myself playfully. I was currently laying out in my swimsuit, not really to get a tan (since it was nighttime already) but I had worn them under my clothes all day. Said clothes were now in a bundle next to the lawn chair. Upon arriving at this area of the park, I decided to change out of them just in case I decided to get in the water. The bathing suit itself was white with thin red stripes crossing over each other. My mom gave it to me for my birthday.

I took a peek at the water, which was rippling in a light shade of blue. The color glowed from the underwater lights and printed white, swirling prisms along the concrete surrounding it. Needless to say, it looked extremely inviting.

I finally gave in to temptation and stood, walking over and dipping one bare foot in at a time. I sat on the edge while waving my legs back and forth in the water. The surrounding speakers were playing music. I listened closer, and could hear what sounded like some bubbly dance song. Twinkle Park never played music with words in them, leaving everyone to use their imagination. Once I could remember the beat, I started humming innocently along with it.

Emma treaded over to me on all fours, which was unnecessary because she could stand in the pool if she wanted. Perhaps she was just getting practice in.

She called Travis over, and they both began splashing me mercilessly. I squealed in laughter and turned my head as the twins both took turns drenching me until I was completely soaked. I gave up, seeing as I was already wet, and dropped into the water, with it going up to my stomach.

Once the twins strayed away, I let my legs float up from underneath me, and gently glided along the surface. My brown hair now looked black from all the water it was retaining as it fanned out around me. I pushed my bangs over my forehead to get a better view of the sky.

The feeling of floating on top of the water, looking up at the star-splashed night, and the music chirping through the speakers, was all incredibly relaxing. I took a heavy breath and closed my eyes. _This couldn't be any more peaceful._

"Kids! Come on, we need to go home! It's getting late and I don't want to miss the new episode of Emerald Coastalicious!" my mom called from the cabana. They both got off their stools and walked over to us.

The twins started whining in protest, while I simply stepped out of the water, ringing my chest-length hair out. I dried myself briefly with a towel from the chair, and then threw my T-shirt and denim shorts back on. My hair left wet stains on my shoulders, but I didn't mind. My siblings eventually got out, simply wrapping themselves in towels instead of getting dressed. We then left the pool area and continued toward the exit.

On the way out, my parents looked at all of us. "So did you guys have fun today?" my dad asked. The twins nodded eagerly while I smiled. "Yeah, it was great. I think we should do this more often," I said happily.

Suddenly, we all heard distant cheering, and the sound of cameras clicking. We rounded a corner and saw bright flashes bouncing off every wall. I then heard people cheering.

"Oh my gosh! It's Sonic the Hedgehog! Sonic the Hedgehog!"

My eyes grew wide._ Woah. Sonic the Hedgehog? He was here at at Twinkle Park? _I instantly grew excited. It was rare for anyone to see Sonic when he wasn't running, whereas he was so fast the only thing visible to the naked eye was a blue blur. He lived in Station Square with the rest of us, so him being here was sort of a regular thing. But he received the same treatment as a celebrity. I always wanted to at least get close to him, but the crazy crowds usually blocked us from getting to the front.

Emma and Travis both exchanged large grins while my parents pushed us along past several people. I never even got a glimpse of the heroic blue hedgehog. None of us did.

Once we left the elevator and headed outside, we began pacing down the city streets. The twins huddled together for warmth while my mom carried their clothes under her arm. Dad held up his arm to signal a taxi-cab. Within seconds, one pulled up, and we all quickly shuffled inside.

On our way home, I looked out the taxi window, back towards Twinkle Park. New clumps of people were forming together, each wrestling to get in. I heaved a long sigh.

Either we should've left earlier so I could see Sonic before the crowds showed up, or we shouldn't have left at all. Maybe he was going to go to the pool area. Maybe he was going to lay out just like I had. Maybe I would've had the chance to tell him how much I love him for what he does, and that I can't thank him enough.

You never know.

I leaned against the glass tiredly, waiting for our house to come into view.

**(Shadow's POV)**

Robots? The Doctor really believes that's all he needs to stop me? Just _robots_?

They all began charging at me at the same time. Some had blades, others had lasers, and even a few had built-in machine guns. As soon as they started firing their weapons, I leapt into the air, using my agility to dodge every beam and bullet they threw my way. I then landed, crossing my arms over my chest. A red glow formed around me, and I conjured up as much energy as I could. It was slowly bubbling from the inside out. Once it reached a certain level of power, I released it like hellfire.

"CHAOS BLAST!" I shouted. A large burst of power exploded from me and spread throughout the room. Every robot caught in the field disintegrated upon impact. Bits of charred metal fell around me like rain. I frowned in annoyance and continued on, leaving the room without a single look back.

_Doesn't he know that his stupid toys can't stop me? They never could. Never will._

I slowly walked through the base, throwing Chaos Spears at anything that got in my path. I even wiped out the cameras mounted in the corners of every hallway. As I left all the destruction behind me, the florescent lighting in the base turned bright red and began blinking to signal an intrusion. An alarm sounded shortly after. I didn't let it slow me down. If he decided to send more of his contraptions after me, then so be it. I could take on whatever dared to challenge me.

All his bases looked the same from the inside. At least, the various routes were exact replicas of one another. He really should reconsider a new layout so it wouldn't be so easy to find him.

Sure enough, I reached his office, otherwise known as the central control room, in record time. Dr. Eggman was turned away from me, fiddling with several buttons and levers on the control pad in front of him. Above his head were screens that monitored the security cameras, now all covered in noisy static from where I'd blasted them. He seemed to be in a desperate hurry.

"Dr. Eggman," I said somewhat loudly. His hands froze in place, and he slowly turned his head. As soon as his eyes met mine, he spun his chair around completely, letting out a disbelieving gasp. "What? No…i-it can't be!" He yelled.

I took a good look at him. He hadn't changed much over the last sixteen years. Even his clothes were the exact same. The only difference I could spot was the orange-brown color of his large mustache had faded, and more age lines had appeared under his goggled eyes. But his obesity seemed to remain the same.

I crossed my arms. "Alright, no more playing around, Doctor. I know you have a chaos emerald in your possession, and that's what I came here for. So hand it over."

He still looked shocked. "Shadow..._Shadow the Hedgehog_? Is this really happening? I didn't even know you were alive, let alone in the same galaxy as me! How did you manage to find me? How did you manage to get here without a spaceship?"

I was getting agitated. I used Chaos Control to tauntingly disappear and reappear behind him. I was standing over the control table. He noticed I had teleported and looked around frantically. I grabbed his chair and spun it around to face me, then took him by his collar.

"I'm not asking. I'm _telling_ you to hand it over. I could just take it by force, but that would involve hurting you in the process. And you wouldn't want that, would you?"

He didn't struggle. He just broke into a sweat. "Okay, okay! Take it easy! But can't I at least know what you need it for? You have one for chaos control, and I have one that serves as more efficient power for my ship. And as long as I have it, no one can get all seven. What purpose could an extra one possibly serve you?"

I frowned harder. "I'm not looking to get one extra. I'm trying to uncover all seven. Don't ask me how, and don't ask me why. Because there's no way I'm telling you. That's for me to know and for you to never find out," I said viciously.

He still seemed fearful, but then paused and looked at me with a nervous grin. "Well. Seeing as your plans don't have much to do with me, I don't think it would make a big difference if you let me help you, right?" He asked.

I just blinked. "What are you getting at?"

"Alright, hear me out. How about this Shadow. As a...say welcome back present, I'll give you the one I have and also tell you the location of another one. But I only know the whereabouts of ONE, and after I tell you where it is, my help ends there. But, if you needed me to, I could possibly uncover the others as well."

"I don't need your help," I said flatly. "I can find them all on my own."

He continued grinning, which wasn't making sense to me. "I don't doubt that you can, Shadow. But searching for the emeralds when they're scattered all over the universe would be a little time-consuming wouldn't it? And if you take mine-"

"Which I will."

"...Then you'll have two. I could help you get the third one faster, as well as the remaining four."

I couldn't help but be a bit interested in his offer, but I knew that he wasn't one to be generous. There was something in it for him.

"And how will this benefit you, Doctor?" I asked him.

His nervousness was completely gone now. Now he seemed a little excited. "All you'll have to do is help me finish making my newest creation. The Supernova Cannon."

I lifted an eyebrow. "Supernova…cannon. You mean like the Eclipse-"

"Yes Shadow like the Eclipse Cannon. I know it's been quite some time since we were back on Earth, but if you remember the Eclipse Cannon's power, you know what it's capable of. It could do quite a hefty amount of damage for being something constructed over sixty years ago. Now imagine what we could do with our present technology! Since you know a little about the history of the Eclipse Cannon, you can help me modify the Supernova Cannon. It's a match made in heaven!"

I was still suspicious. "And just what do you plan to use such a powerful weapon for, anyway?"

His grin widened. "That's for me to know, Shadow, and for you to never find out."

I frowned and released his collar. He brushed the wrinkles away and looked back at me. "I assure you, once you finish helping me, you can take the chaos emeralds and be on your way. Whaddya say?" He then held out his hand for me to shake.

I couldn't believe I was giving in to his bribe. I wasn't crazy about the idea of working with Dr. Eggman again. But all I needed was the seven chaos emeralds. He would be giving me two in the process, and as long as I helped with his stupid cannon, he'd aid me in getting the rest. It shouldn't be that bad. I held my hand out and shook his. "Fine, Doctor. But if you dare try to turn on the deal or find a way out of it, you'll regret it."

Dr. Eggman let out an uneasy laugh. "Ohoho...that won't be necessary Shadow. I'm a man of my word. Now, as for the third chaos emerald. Let me start up the Egg-Carrier, and we'll be on our way to Earth."

I winced. Earth? Of all places, it had to be on the planet that was dominated by the very thing I hated. Humans.

"Are you sure that's where it's located?"

"I'm insulted that you doubt me. Of course I'm sure. It's the closest one within our range, as well. Now come on, planet Earth awaits!"

He then left the control room, with me following behind.

I had the strange feeling that I would run into Sonic once we reached Earth, no matter where we went. Well if he decides to get in my way, I won't hold back on anything. I'll kill him if I have to. The last thing I needed was my old foe making an annoyance of himself and getting in my way. I had my own agenda that needed completing.

As Dr. Eggman continued walking, he said without looking at me, "The G.U.N. commander knows where the Chaos Emerald's being kept. I think we should pay him a visit, don't you? It's my belief that he currently lives in Westopolis. He's not retired, but he's too old to work full-time, so persuading an oaf like him should be a piece of cake. I also know that he has a son. So if he doesn't cooperate, we could possibly capture his pathetic offspring and hold him prisoner until he gives us the Chaos Emerald, or until we're certain that the soldiers won't follow us or interfere with our plans. We all know how the commander cherishes his family...so it's a bit of a no-brainer."

I nodded to myself. I didn't care. I'd do whatever it took to get that third emerald, even if it meant imprisoning a weak, pathetic human.


	3. Headed for Westopolis

**Chapter Revised [x]**

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><p><strong>Rachel's POV:<strong>

"Rachel? Rachel, it's time to get up," my mom said gently, nudging my arm. I groaned under the bed sheets, pulling them over my head. She laughed and poked me again. "Oh come on, don't be that way hun, you need to get dressed so we can go visit Grandpa. Remember, we're spending the weekend with him," she said.

I yanked the sheets back, peeking out with one eye open. She had pulled back the the curtains to let the sun in. _Gee, thanks Mom._

"Why now?" I whined. "It's only like 8:00. I wanted to sleep in."

"I know, but you're forgetting it takes five hours to get to Westopolis. We're aiming to get there by 2:00. So you have an hour to get ready. Hurry up, chop chop. Time's a-wastin'."

She patted my back to urge me along, before leaving my room and shutting the door behind her. I sat up and scoffed tiredly to myself, trying hard to set my energy in. But at that point, I didn't think jumping into a tank of ice water could make me anymore awake. I crawled out of bed like a slug, stumbling as I got to my closet. I stepped in and ripped my pajamas off, grabbing a plain gray T-shirt off a hanger, along with a pair of dark Capri pants which were cut above the knees. I then slipped on some ankle socks and black tennis shoes.

_Alright, time to survey the damage._

I usually wasn't very attractive in the morning. I tended to roll around when I slept, and was known for getting hideous bedhead, much to the delight of my teasing family. I left my room and entered the bathroom next door, locking the door behind me. One look at the mirror, and I was already frowning in disgust.

After brushing my teeth and hair, I pushed my bangs to the side, running my fingers through them to even them out. I then applied some nude chap stick to sooth my dry lips, and smoothed out my tussled eyebrows. I never wore eye-makeup unless I was going somewhere where it was necessary. My eyes were already big enough, so that step was skipped. Not even mascara was needed. Some days my eyelashes curled, other days they drooped like dead insect legs. Today was one of those days where they flipped up and framed my eyes. I couldn't help but smile pleasantly.

My hair was naturally pencil straight, which I hated because I favored curls. It was a gene I'd inherited from my father. My skin was pasty in color, yet my cheeks had a blotchy pink to them. So when I actually blushed, they looked ten times worse.

Overall, I had a very embarrassingly small figure. Let's just say that if I got in a fight with someone, I would probably get killed.

An hour passed, and soon everyone was ready to go. The twins were still rubbing crust out of their eyes when we piled into a taxi with our overnight bags and left for the subway.

On the subway train, I sat quietly on a bench, Emma and Travis placed themselves on either side of me. Travis leaned against my arm tiredly. I looked down after feeling his cold nose touch me, and saw he was falling asleep. With my other arm, I got my mp3 player out of my pocket and slipped the headphones into each of my ears. Once a song started, Emma fell on my other arm with an exhausted coo. I sighed to myself, not having the heart to push them off. I decided to let them snooze while listening to some of my favorite songs.

Two hours dragged by. The subway train stopped somewhere in the Mystic Ruins, an area abundant in green nature, that resided outside the city. We got off to take a bathroom break before transferring to another train. Travis remained asleep while my dad carried him, and Emma headed to the lady's room with Mom. While we waited, I scanned at the people going about around us.

I'd noticed that for some reason, people in Station Square seemed to be more energetic and happy, compared to everyone else that lived in the surrounding areas. They always chattered and smiled, and even shared jokes from one stranger to another. But that was the thing. No one was a stranger at home. We were like a big clan.

Besides the tourists, residents of Mystic Ruins contrasted completely. They appeared drained and kind of gloomy in the face. Girls my age looked aged beyond comparison. I guessed it was because we had Sonic and his friends living in Station Square. They always managed to keep things interesting. Not to mention if there was ever danger that the police couldn't take care of, Sonic would be there to save the day. It gave people peace in mind, whereas here, that sort of help was hard to come by.

Once we were all together again, we climbed aboard another subway train. This one was headed straight for Westopolis. The train wasn't crowded like it usually was, so I got the luxury of having three seats to myself. I lay across them, crossing my legs over one another and rotated my head toward the low window, watching at all the blurred scenery fly by. I turned my mp3 player back on and relaxed, waiting for the three hour trip to end.

My eyes started to close, and I found myself thinking about my Grandpa. It had only been a few months since we last saw him. But to him, that was a long time.

Even to this day, I've wondered what it was like for him. To know what he's been through, through his own eyes. He'd lost everything he held dearest to G.U.N. soldiers. And then he became their _commander_?

Ah, I knew better than to question it. G.U.N. was just doing their job that day! And I actually wish they had done it better, minus all the innocent lives taken. That way they would've killed Shadow the Hedgehog, and some people would still be alive now. The soldiers who were killed by Shadow could be at home with their families right now. They were all husbands and fathers, brothers and uncles. To think that was destroyed because of one evil.

To think that he still exists somewhere in the universe.

_…Monster._

**Shadow's POV:**

"You might want to fasten your seatbelt Shadow, because we're about to enter the Milky Way," Dr. Eggman said from his chair. He clicked his own seatbelt together, then continued steering the Egg Carrier through space via keyboards and various buttons. I had been near the back, looking out the window lost in my own thoughts. I obeyed and took a smaller, lower-set seat on his left, crossing the seatbelts over my body and locking them in place. I then adjusted them to make sure they were secure.

"How much longer will it be until we reach Earth, Doctor?"

His face was straight. "I would say approximately 17 more hours. We'll be landing somewhere in the Mystic Ruins, and after everything's settled, you can Chaos Control to Westopolis and hunt down the commander. Remember, his full name is Abraham Tower."

I raised an eyebrow. "What should I do if someone sees me ahead of time?"

He chuckled. "My, that's new for you. Thinking something like humans can stop you from getting what you're after. However, in answer to your question, I'll leave that entirely up to you. You can ignore them, or kill them. It won't make a bit of a difference to me. Perhaps you can treat them just like you treat my robots. If they're in your way, slay them down_...(and leave their creator wondering why he spends so much time building them just to have them destroyed by an ignorant hedgehog...)"_

I looked away from him and out towards the incoming swirls of the Milky Way. Even though it was relatively easy for me to kill humans, I didn't enjoy doing it anymore. It was only satisfying if they really deserved it. Either way, I had never met a human that could fight me off in my 60+ years of life. I may have had the appearance of a young hedgehog, but I could vaporize even the strongest man with a simple wave of Chaos Blast. It was undeniably satisfying to have that kind of power.

"Say Shadow, we haven't seen each other in quite some time."

My attention turned back to Dr. Eggman. "Indeed, it's been 16 years."

He cleared his throat. "Right. Well, I was wondering what have you accomplished in the past decade and a half? Anything to report?"

I looked at him. "No. Nothing."

His eyebrows bounced. "Oh? You haven't even found yourself a girlfriend?"

My eyes formed a glare. _"What?"_

He just laughed a bit to himself. "Well I figured that you would've eventually settled down and maybe found a girl to be with. It's not uncommon for young hedgehogs, you know."

I frowned even harder. "I've spent the last 16 years exploring galaxies, but not for leisure or vacation. It was all strictly business. I wanted to see if there was any place suitable for me to..." I cut myself off, realizing I almost revealed my plan and quickly shoved the subject away. "No. No, I'm not with anyone, and I plan to keep it that way."

Dr. Eggman sighed. "But Shadow, it doesn't take a genius like myself to see that you need a companion. Don't you enjoy the feeling of loving someone, and having them love you in return? Don't you remember how you felt about having Maria? I understand that Maria was more like a sister figure. But just imagine something similar, and with romance involved. A best friend and lover that will always trust you and never let you down. Someone to cheer you up when you're angry or sad, and be there to support you in everything you do. That doesn't appeal to you at all?"

"No, it doesn't. I don't need support. And I'm not opening up to another person the same way I did with Maria, just so I can lose them like I lost her. Besides, love is an idiotic thing. I would much rather prefer to be on my own."

He didn't respond for a second. "Sorry, didn't mean to evoke any anger in you. I had no idea it was such a touchy subject," he said with a snicker.

I bared my teeth in annoyance.

But that was my sheer belief. Love was stupid. I would never love someone like that. Ever. It was just another impossible, make-believe emotion.


	4. My Dear Friend, Maria

**Chapter Revised [x]**

* * *

><p><strong>(Rachel's POV)<strong>

"_Grandpa_!" Emma and Travis shouted as soon as our grandfather opened the door to his house. He greeted us with a grin and warm hello. So warm in fact, there was practically steam seeping out between his teeth. He really was happy to see us. It was written all over his face.

We all tackled him in a bone-crushing hug, and he chuckled with his rugged, old person laugh and returned the embrace. Mom came in and they exchanged pecks on the cheek. He then gave a sideways hug to my Dad before inviting the five of us inside.

His house never seemed to change, which was something I couldn't help but adore. It looked the exact same every time we visited. The rooms were tidy, the air was fresh, and the T.V. was always on the news channel. And when the news wasn't on, we would all plop down on the leather couch and watch our favorite sitcoms together. Our family was extremely cheesy, but hey, we loved each other's company and that was all that mattered.

After we caught up with one another, discussing grades from our last report cards, what plans we had for the remainder of the summer, and about my Dad getting a promotion at work, Grandpa took us out to eat lunch. We ate at an old-timey diner, with cheery 50s music playing in the background, plaid-pattered tablecloths, all that shtick. After that, Mom got caught up in window-shopping, so we followed her around the city for one long, miserable hour in the scorching heat before she gave up eyeing some pearls on display inside a jewelry shop, and we all headed back to his little townhouse.

Once the sun started to set, the twins were exhausted. They admitted to not getting a lot of sleep the night before. Mom sighed at them hopelessly.

"That's why you should've gone to bed earlier, sweethearts."

But they retorted with, "Don't blame us! It's _your_ fault for taking us to Twinkle Park and making us too hyper to go to sleep!"

My whole family (minus Grandpa) huddle together the couch and watched the news in silence, if you excluded the twins' pointless bickering. In today's top stories, it was the usual: robbery, kidnapping, assaults, rape, suicide, murder, bombs, and other pointless acts of violence.

_Can't there ever be any good news?_

I broke away from my father's shoulder, stood up and headed for the kitchen to get a glass of water. But my grandpa came out of his bedroom across the hall and saw me. He paused, shying away from entry towards the living room, like he was trying to not be noticed by everyone but me.

"Rachel," he whispered. I looked over him while reaching for a cup in the cupboard. He gestured for me to come over to him.

After I grabbed a glass and set it on the counter for later use, I walked over to him. "What is it, Grandpa?"

"There's something I've been meaning to give you. Something rather special, too. But I didn't want to hand it to you in front of the twins, because then they might expect me to give them a gift too."

I checked my two siblings on the couch, instantly noting how quiet it had gotten. That was only because my little brother and sister were snoozing away together, using each other's heads as pillows.

"But look, they fell asleep," I said pointing towards them. My grandpa nodded without actually looking, then stepped back farther away, towards the end of the hall. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a small black box. "Come over here and check this out."

I obeyed him and neared closer, taking the box after he held it out for me to accept. It resembled a jewelry box. But I couldn't think of why I would be getting jewelry. In fact, why was I getting a present at all? Not that I minded, but I didn't recall needing to be rewarded for anything.

I took the lid off the box and looked inside curiously. I immediately saw that it was a necklace, because there was a long line of shiny threading coiled around itself. But it wasn't the chain caught my attention. It was the mesmerizing charm.

It was a small, shiny blue heart with a silver rim bordering it. I could see my surprised and questioning face in the stone's smooth, cobalt colored reflection. The heart itself wasn't large or twisted or overdone. It was simple and elegant. I couldn't help but feel that the necklace wasn't new, despite how fresh it looked. Maybe this was all depicted by its _smell_. I couldn't describe it, but it had the scent of age. I felt like there was a history behind it that I was missing.

"Oh my, i-it's so beautiful," I said in awe, picking up the chain and watching the heart swing in front of me. My grandpa's pale lips curled in a smile. "Isn't it, though? And guess what. That necklace is over fifty years old. Don't believe me? Look on the back of it."

_50 years old? Woah, that's incredible! I was right!_

I flipped it over, to where it was all covered in silver. There were words engraved on the surface in tiny cursive print. I had to squint to read it all, because there were so many words crammed together.

_Moments like these don't come often,_  
><em>And you come once in a lifetime.<em>  
><em>Remember, you'll always be my friend,<em>  
><em>In these fingerprints you etched on my heart,<em>  
><em>And in these memories that will always make me smile.<em>

My eyes widened, and a small smile crept onto my face. I knew who this had once belonged to. I could see the name hidden in the lettering of the poem.

"Grandpa, this necklace was Maria's...wasn't it?" I asked calmly, oddly struck with warmth as I reread the sentences over and over. It sounded like a child had written it...or at least a child who had an extensive vocabulary. Or maybe a child with a lot of feelings…

My grandpa blinked surprisingly at the mentioning of Maria's name. It was almost like wasn't expecting me to remember who she was. But I couldn't forget her if I tried.

He took the necklace from me and carefully examined it. "Not exactly," he said solemnly. My eyebrows downturned.

"What I mean is, it was _supposed_ to be. I had tried to give it to her, but never got the chance. It was going to be her goodbye gift before I left the ARK and we never saw each other again. I personally think it would be a shame for this necklace to never have the chance of being worn. And to be honest, you remind me of Maria a lot, Rachel. Really, you do. You both possess pure, gentle hearts. Kind of like this one right here," he said, tapping the blue trinket while beaming.

"I notice how you only desire for everyone to be happy, and oppose any acts of violence, just like Maria did. I spilled to you about my past years ago, and you always did the noble thing and kept it a secret for me. I'm very thankful for that. And now that I'm old and my life is nearing its close, I want you to have it, Rachel. Take it, wear it, and treasure it always. Let the memories live on forever." He then stepped behind me and fastened it around my neck. I pulled my hair over it, then picked up the heart, scanning it from the curves, down to the point.

"You really have no idea how much this means a lot to me, Grandpa...thank you so, so much. I promise to take very good care of it."

I let the heart slip from my grasp. "But if you don't mind me asking, how come Maria never got it herself?"

Grandpa swallowed a pocket of air, looking down at the ground. "I...don't think I remember. The incident with G.U.N. just happened...so that was that."

I lifted an eyebrow. I could see right through him and tell he was lying, or leaving out a huge portion of the truth. But I decided to leave well enough alone. If he didn't want to tell me, it wasn't like I would force him to.

But even when I reentered the kitchen for my water, I could see he was still in deep thought before he went to join my family in watching T.V.

**(FLASHBACK)**  
><strong>*in the Commander's POV*<strong>

"Marriaaaaaa! Maria where are you!" I called out, looking in every direction as I walked through the thirteenth level of the ARK. I needed to give her my present while I still could. Lord knew when we would be leaving to go back home, and I didn't want to miss my opportunity. I gripped the necklace tightly in my palm.

Lucky for me, my mother was a skilled jeweler, and I had asked her to make a necklace with a blue heart, a necklace because Maria once commented that her neck felt bare, and she really wished she could put a loose chain on it or something like women traditionally did, and blue because it was her favorite color...the dominant color of Earth. I even wrote a poem that was engraved on the back. It took a lot of thinking on my part, because the only big, meaningful words I knew were the ones I heard passing scientists use in conversations. But even when help was offered from my parents, I bluntly refused. I wanted the poem to come from my heart, and not anyone else's.

_She'll love it! I just know she will! I can't wait to see the wonderful smile on her face when she sees it!_

"Maria! Are you up here? Hello!" I yelled again.

I then heard a soft, yet sickeningly familiar whoosh behind me as it stopped in place. I froze in place, knowing that sound all too well. It was the sound of someone running fast, and this time it was accompanied by a terrible presence.

"Is there something you need?" I heard a dreadfully dark voice ask behind me. I turned around cautiously, eyes wide with fear.

There he was. Shadow the Hedgehog. The monster whose creation I had witnessed with my own eyes. The pure evil that managed to lure Maria in, and take her away from me. She and I had not played with each other in a long time. And when we did, our time was cut short. All because of him. And I didn't understand it one bit. Maria was so carefree, bubbly and open-minded about everything. Shadow was so…not. He was creepy, even. What was it about him that she found so interesting?

I hated that Professor Gerald Robotnik programmed him with the ability to run and quote "faster than the speed of sound". He always showed up at random times just from passing by. I rarely had time to hide from an encounter because of this.

"N-Nothing, _Shadow_," I said plainly, choking the necklace in my hold. He noticed that my hand became more firm, and shot me a questioning look. "What do you have there?" he said in an uncaring tone.

I looked down at my enclosed fist. The chain wasn't visible, so it wasn't like I'd given myself away. I threw both of my hands behind my back, not wanting him to find out about Maria's gift. I felt like if he saw it, it wouldn't be nearly as special anymore.

"It's just something that I want to give to Maria. I was trying to find her, and it's rather shocking that she isn't with _you_," I said boldly.

The ebony hedgehog frowned, his red eyes burning into my green and brown ones. "Whatever. If you want, I can give it to her on your behalf," he said, holding out his hand. I guessed it was supposed to be a friendly gesture, but I didn't detect any friendliness in his face or voice.

_Don't trust him._

I shook my head, taking a step back. Him saying that was a slap in the face. Even he knew that he saw her more often than I did.

"No. I'm fully capable of giving it to her myself. I don't need your help!" I declared.

But no sooner did I say this, did I trip over a cable that was plugged into the wall and tumbled backwards. I threw my hands out in front of me so I could break the fall with my back, keeping the necklace safe. But after I landed, which caused some momentary pain to shoot up my body, my fingers twitched and slowly uncurled out of natural response. Shadow glared at me after my clumsy show, and then transferred his gaze to Maria's necklace. He stepped closer and studied it carefully, ripping it out of my hand without my consent, and holding it up in front of him. He then flipped it over, his eyes scanning the words on the back.

I jumped up. "NO! _STOP IT_!" I yelled, snatching it away from him. Surprisingly, he let me take it back without protest. I cradled the charm in my hands. I hated him for getting his filthy touch on it.

The hedgehog turned to leave, smirking to himself.

"Hmph. What a stupid kid," I heard him mumble.

At this point, my anger surpassed my fear of him.

"I am _not_ stupid! You're the stupid one!"

My voice was practically dripping in fury. "You know, I hardly ever get to see Maria anymore because of _you_! At least I got her a present! It may not be much, but it's supposed to show how much I'm going to miss her! It's something special that I want her to remember me by! Not that I expect you to know what it's like to miss someone. You don't know anything about friendship or love, or what it's like to care for someone, do you!"

Shadow slowly turned his head to look at me. The scowl on his face made me tremble.

"And why would she want to remember a coward like _you_?"

Before I could retort, something interrupted us.

"Abraham? Is that you?" I heard a young female's voice call gently from a distance. It was somehow loud enough for echoes to bounce off the walls a few times and travel to me in repetitions. I froze where I was. It was Maria. My dear friend, Maria.

"M-M-Maria?"

But then I looked back at Shadow and found that he was glaring at me menacingly. It was like his eyes were saying, _She's mine now. You can never have her back. So leave now, before you embarrass yourself more than you already have._

And with that, I took off running, tears streaking down my face as the chain of the necklace dangled between my tiny fingers. I would never give Maria that necklace. She didn't need me anymore. She had Shadow now. I guess I had to learn to accept that.

Oh, but it hurt so bad.

**END OF FLASHBACK**

**(Shadow's POV)**

My eyes stared ahead the blue planet in front of me. Dr. Eggman cranked a lever, and the Egg Carrier began to advance at a faster speed. "We should be landing in the Mystic Ruins in T minus 2 hours."

I looked at him in disbelief. We got here sooner than I had expected.

I wasn't thrilled about returning to Earth. It was definitely not my first choice. But that's where I had to reconsider my reluctance, because I had no choice to begin with. It was mandatory that I retrieve the Chaos Emerald.

But still, the planet brought back many unwanted memories of the Space Colony ARK. More specifically, it reminded me of Maria.

I had wanted so badly to recover my memories after I lost them years ago. But now that I had them back, they haunted me constantly.

I could feel the Doctor watching me, so I turned to face him. His eyebrows were furrowed.

"I know this may be something of a difficult trip for you, Shadow. So let's make it fast, because I remember how you feel about humans. We're here to get the chaos emerald, nothing more, nothing less. Right?"

I nodded once then turned away.

Indeed, this was for the chaos emerald. I wasn't going to let anything or anyone on this stupid planet affect me like my previous visits. This was going to be my final visit to Earth. And then I would be done with it forever.

Before I knew it, we were entering its atmosphere. I closed my eyes for a mere two seconds, and when I reopened them, I could already see misty clouds flowing past the windows.

This was happening so fast.


	5. Backfire of the World's Stupidest Idea

**Chapter Revised [x]**

* * *

><p><strong>(Rachel's POV)<strong>

"I don't understand. How can you guys get a random headache at 2 in the morning!" I muttered, rummaging through a medicine basket in Grandpa's kitchen.

Emma and Travis stood behind me in their pajamas. Travis was holding his head by the temples while Emma pinched the bridge of her nose. "I don't know, but it hurts really bad," she said. Travis moaned next to her. "Yeah. After we both woke up, we tried and tried but we couldn't even go back to sleep! And believe me, we really, really, _really _want to sleep."

I sighed to myself while trying to find some pain reliever for them. The twins had woken me up not too long ago. I'd been asleep on the couch while they bunked in the guest bedroom like always. They were complaining about both having a headache...at the freakin same time. I was trying to handle the situation myself without the help of my parents or grandpa, just so there would be no need to disturb them. So far, it wasn't working out well at all.

"I can't find anything. All I see in here are cough suppressants, stuff for cold and allergies, but nothing for headaches."

Travis stepped closer and groaned. "Oh come on! Grandpa has to have something. He's old for crying out loud. Old people always have a lot of medicine."

Emma elbowed him. "Shut up, Travis. Don't be a meanie."

I finally scoped out a bottle of Advil at the bottom of the basket. I twisted the lid to open it and peered inside.

"Of course..." I sighed, chuckling nervously and looking back at my siblings. "There's only one tablet left."

They exchanged competitive glances then both reached for the bottle before I snatched it away and waved a finger at them, waiting for them to sort it out. I was about to suggest we cut it into halves, but then the arguing began.

Should've expected that.

"If only one of us can have it, it has to be me," Travis said.

"Lies, lies all of it!" Emma disagreed.

"Well my headache is ten times more worse than yours!"

"Uhh genius, we're twins. We are feeling the same pain!"

"Oh you've got to be kidding. That whole 'twins are connected' thing is just a superstition. Because I know I'm nowhere near as stupid as you!"

"It doesn't work that way doofus."

"Can it butt-face, you're making my head hurt worse!"

"Mine hurts worse now too!"

"Nuh uh! I deserve the last tablet!"

"No, I do, and that's final!"

"Both of you shut up! Jeez!" I said sharply, not wanting to yell and wake up everyone in the house. "You're both giving _me_ a headache right now. If you can't come to some sort of understanding, then you'll just have to tough it out until morning, or go back to sleep and hope that it goes away. We'll buy some Advil first thing tomorrow. Grandpa has clearly been in a lot of pain if he's almost done with a whole bottle. It's still his medicine, after all."

Now the twins looked horror-stricken. "No! Rachel, you can't do that! _We_ can't do that! Waiting until morning is out of the question! It hurts too much," Emma said desperately. Travis nodded, for once agreeing with his sister. "It's true. I can hardly deal with the pain now."

I sighed, for the umpteenth setting the medicine back in the basket. I left them moping together in the kitchen to go to the guest bedroom alone. Even though I slept on the couch, my bags were in there. I tiptoed quietly across the hall to the room. Once inside, I walked through the dark and grabbed my bag, pulling a denim jacket out, along with my tennis shoes. I pulled the jacket on over my nightshirt, then yanked the shoes on over my checkerboard socks. I was still wearing my pajama pants, which were rolled up right beneath my knees, but I didn't think my legs would be too cold in a simple summer night chill.

After I left the room, slowly closing the creaking door behind me, I grabbed Grandpa's house keys off the coffee table in the living room, and got my black handbag off the front door-handle. Inside the bag was a 20 dollar bill. That was more than enough for one bottle of pain reliever.

Emma and Travis watched me from the kitchen archway. "What the heck are you doing?" Travis asked.

I looked back at them warily. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm going to get you guys some medicine."

Emma blinked. "What? But where are you going to get it?"

"From the gas station. There's one that's only a few blocks from here. Go lay down in the bedroom and wait for me to get back. Don't tell Mom, Dad, or Grandpa that I left, and especially don't wake them up with your loud whining. It's our little secret, kay?"

"But...but..._Rachel_! Just wake up mom and dad! They can help us!" Travis said. I shook my head and put a finger to my lips, to signal that he needed to be quiet. "There's no need to wake them. You guys pull this stunt all the time. I can't even count on two hands the number of times you've bothered them in the middle of the night.

So bottom line, you both owe me big time."

And then I left without another word, storming off into the stricken black city of Westopolis.

**(Shadow's POV)**

"And...We've..._landed_!" Eggman sighed happily, loosening up after the Egg Carrier had come into harsh contact with Earth's surface. The sound of twigs and leaves crackling left rumbles through the floor. I found myself lightly gripping the arm rests to keep my balance, and instantly looking towards the window.

I surveyed the environment outside with an unimpressed frown. We were in Mystic Ruins, planted down in an area that was open enough for the Egg Carrier to fit, but still remained hidden by the surrounding forests. Though, we had probably knocked down a signifant amount of trees in our sloppy landing.

Either way, it was pitch black outside, so there wasn't much to look at.

Without Dr. Eggman's consent, I unstrapped myself from the seatbelt and left the chair. My muscles had been restrained for too long. _Maybe I should get a little exercise..._

"Where are you going now, Shadow?" Dr. Eggman asked me. "You can't already be going out to retrieve the chaos emerald. We just got here! At least wait until we devise a plan." He sounded irritated, though I couldn't give a lesser care on how he felt about the decisions I made. Some part of me wanted to go out and see how much Earth had changed in the sixteen years I'd been gone. Knowing how horribly humans treated their planet, I knew I would be able to see a difference.

"Don't wait up on me. I'll return after I take a look around."

He nodded. "Ah, I see. Off for some fresh air are we?"

I cringed inwardly. Earth's air was anything but fresh.

"Fine by me, Shadow, but remember, don't let anyone see you. And I mean _anyone_. The current time is 2:43 AM. Be back by 3:30," the Doctor instructed.

3:30? That was less than an hour. "Sure. Whatever."

I then sped out of the Egg Carrier and took off through the woods, instinctively dodging through the trees and brush, and headed dead on for Westopolis. With my speed, plus the ability to use chaos control, I could visit Westopolis and be back within 47 minutes no problem. A part of me was curious to know how much the city changed. I remember the Black Arms had done some heavy damage back when they invaded. Now that I thought about it, security might be more enforced as well because of that event. But again, there's no way they could stop me from getting what I was after.

Even if I was late getting back, what was the most Dr. Eggman could do to me? Yell at me to death?

I still chose to respect his wishes and return before the time he gave me. Then I could get back and we'd figure out how to execute this master plan of his.

Besides, it wasn't like anything interesting was going to keep me from returning.

**(Rachel's POV)**

The cashier watched me while simultaneously shuffling change out of the cash register. I had already paid for a bottle of Advil. The walk here had been extremely creepy and uncomfortable, but I managed to make it to the Westopo Gas Station in one piece. I stood there awkwardly. The man seemed to be taking his sweet precious time taking the dollars and coins out of their slots.

"So what brings a young lady like you out to a gas station so late at night? And _alone_?" he asked me, his tone barely tipping past that boundary between friendly and sensual. He looked at least twice my age, with blonde oily hair that looked like it hadn't been washed in weeks. I swallowed heavily and tried to play it cool.

"Oh, well see my Dad sent me here to get medicine because he's been having muscles pains, from...uhh...overly working out," I quickly lied. It wasn't easy to make a big teddy bear like my father look menacing. I needed to give him a fake, badass profile, just so this guy would know better than to try anything.

"Yeah he's really been pushing himself to the limit lately. Sometimes I wonder why he owns so…so many guns! Yeah, guns! Haha, I mean what's the point? He already has his biceps...triceps...and uhhh...anything else that ends with 'ceps', buffed up and ready to fight. Yeah…"

I was mentally bashing my head in. _Oh god, why do you choose now to be the world's worst liar!_

The cashier chuckled softly, leaning closer to my face. "So he has guns huh? And muscles? Is that supposed to scare me or something?"

My face flushed. _Crap_. He knew that I was lying. He could sense my nervousness. But then again, a blind and deaf person would have no problem sensing it either.

I then felt something slip into my hand and nearly jumped out of my skin. The cashier laughed even harder than before. I looked down and saw it was just some dollar bills and nickels. My change.

I didn't even make eye contact with the man again, and instead grabbed the bag containing the medicine and turned to leave. "Thank you," I said quickly, not worrying about getting the receipt. I just wanted to get the hell out of there and get back to Grandpa's townhouse. Right as I left, I heard the cashier make some witty remark about having my 'old man stick to steroids instead', but didn't ponder on it.

After walking outside for a few minutes, a chilly wind began to pick up around me, biting through my denim jacket and swirling around in my hair. Even though it was supposed to be summer, the air smelled dry and rotted, like dead autumn leaves. I looked down, swallowing my fears and and picked up my pace. The plastic bag made loud, rustling noises from the wind rushing around me, and from me going at a power walking speed down the street.

I stopped when I came across a dark alley.

I looked through the narrow opening, noting the unfriendly graffiti splashed across it, and the dewy bricks that lined the walls. But then I realized it was headed in the direction of Grandpa's house, therefore it served as an easy shortcut.

_Pshh, yeah right. Like I'm that stupid. Everyone knows not to go into dark creepy alleys at night. I'd be setting myself up for that one._

I quickly began walking again; tensing up every time I saw movement nearby, even if it was my own shadow. I passed a lot of homeless people who slept in their own bundled clothes, or lit cigarettes over flaming trash buckets, and people who were residing outside of buildings, deadpanning their eyes when I passed.

Jeez, could this be any more freaky? A sixteen year old girl walking by herself at night was not a safe, or smart situation at all. Especially in a dangerous city like Westopolis. I must've been half asleep when I came up with this God awful idea to just waltz out into the middle of the night for stupid medicine. Travis was right. I should've let my parents handle the dilemma. This confidence must've come from me being used to walking about Station Square any time of day with no problem. But I wasn't in Station Square, where any sort of danger was quickly eradicated by Sonic and his friends. Right now, I was in a different city. All I wanted was to be back on the couch, dreaming about outer space or something pleasant like that.

After turning onto an abandoned street, a cheap, rusted car rounded the corner and slowed down before it could pass me. The driver's window hummed and rolled down to reveal a middle aged man, sitting there and flashing a creepy look. "Hey sweetheart, you lookin' for a ride?" he asked in a pedophile sort of tone. My heart shriveled up in fear. _Oh no. Oh God, please no._

There was another man in the passenger seat, as well as two in the back. The ones in the back rolled down their windows and began howling obnoxious wolf whistles at me. "Hey baby, what are you doing out here all alone? Don't you have a man to take care of you?" one asked.

Despite my anxiety, I couldn't help but scoff at them. Who were they kidding? I was barely sixteen, and not even attractive enough to garner their attention. But then I realized that being by myself with no one to guard me or come to my aid, I was basically up for grabs. And these sickos were aware of it too. I willed silent prayers into the atmosphere, begging that they would go away.

One of the men in the back leaned out. "Say, do you _need_ a man to take care of you? I can be that man, sweet cheeks."

_They're drunk. They just have to be._

I shook my head with disgust and continued walking, not daring to say or try anything. Why did this have to happen. Why. Why was I such a moron.

The driver then shifted the gear into reverse and began going backwards to follow me. My eyes widened and I tried to look away, suddenly finding the fence I was trotting alongside very interesting.

"Listen here. We just got back from this wicked party, and were about to head to my place to chill. Care to join us? You can just hop on in the back and-"

"No," I said flatly, trying to disguise the fear in my voice. "Leave me alone, please."

"Hey, what you got there in that bag?" the man in the passenger seat asked, ignoring me and referring to the bag with the Advil inside. I hid it away from them and looked forward, refusing to answer him.

One of the guys in the back laughed. "With our luck, it could be condoms, boys! She knew we were coming after all!"

And with that, the brakes on the car screeched to a halt, right there in the middle of the street, between lanes. All four men jumped got out at once, leaving the engine going behind them, and came towards me in differing directions. I froze in place for a few seconds and took in all of their faces. The expressions they had were fairly disturbing. But what scared me the most, was that I expected them to smell like alcohol, or look even the slightest bit tipsy. But they appeared completely sober. They were aware of what they were doing. Therefore, it would be harder to run away from them.

Without thinking, I took off bolting as fast as I could down the street. But one of them jumped in front of me, grabbing the sides of my arms and pushing me backwards. "Where you goin' babe? We were lying about that party. You're the real party we've been waiting for all night. Cha-ching!"

My heart thudded against my chest as I struggled to free myself from his grip. But more hands seized me and before I knew it they were pulling me to the car. "You sick bastards! Let me go!"

One of the men that I noticed as the driver, held his hand up for everyone to stop. "Hold up guys, she seems like trouble. She doesn't really have to go back to the condo with us. But there's an alley right over there," he said, gesturing towards the alley I had previously passed by. The other ones grinned sadistically, nodding in agreement. I kept trying to get away, but there were too many of them. And they were ten times stronger than I was. They began prying me towards the alley like a dog on a leash. A dog trying for the life of it not to get any closer.

"NO! Somebody help me!" I screamed. But then something flew over my mouth, cutting off my cries. It was a cloth of some sort. One of them wrapped it tightly around my mouth. "Eh, shut the hell up," he said. They all howled in sick laughter. I closed my eyes tightly.

_I'm done for. Absolutely done for._

**(Shadow's POV)**

I stood quietly on a hill, with my arms crossed over each other. It was the same hill that I stood on years ago, before the Black Arms began falling from the sky and destroying the city. The same hill where I was questioning who I was, and what purpose I had. Even though all my memories had been recovered, I felt as though this hill always held some sort of significance behind it.

Westopolis was directly in front of me. From what I could tell, the buildings looked more run-down than before. Some appeared to still have multiple areas of damage. _Hmph. Figures. Humans are too lazy to reconstruct their own habitat._

The first thing I wanted to do was find where the G.U.N. base was located while remaining unseen. Then I was going to see if I could find the G.U.N. commander's home. I remembered before we landed, Dr. Eggman gave me the address. How he knew where it was, I had no idea. But never question a mad scientist who self-proclaims possessing an I.Q. of 300.

I held the Chaos Emerald that I'd brought along with me high up in the air. It was the red Chaos Emerald, the one I seemingly always ended up with. I looked up at it, watching as the stars in the sky bore scarlet-tinted lights through its translucence. I was ready to teleport to the G.U.N. base. My power was called forth, and I felt it slowly build within me as I closed my eyes, focusing on my destination.

"Chaos...-"

"NO! Somebody help me!"

My eyes shot open, the energy going idle.

Being the Ultimate Life form, my ears were able to pick up sounds that most creatures couldn't hear from the same distance. Therefore, my hearing never decieved me. And someone was clearly calling for help. The voice belonged to what sounded like a young girl.

_You've got to be kidding me._

Normally I didn't care about the well-being of humans. But for some reason, and I couldn't pinpoint why, this cry for help sparked my interest. The city was quiet, so it wasn't like it was under attack by any outside forces. So no one within it had reason to be in danger. Or, danger that was catastrophic like the kinds I dealt with.

From my past visits here in Westopolis, I knew that human girls tended to over-react and scream in situations where it was unnecessary. But this one sounded desperate, like she was truly under attack by something she couldn't withstand on her own. I wanted to see what was happening to make her scream in horror like that.

The Chaos Energy was still inside me, ready to be put to use. Curiosity got the better of me.

I sighed in annoyance, and began thinking of the girl's cry for help. Thinking about it would bring me to her location. Then I could see if really needed my assistance.

I was supposed to not let anyone see me. Was I really going to jeopardize my mission for one human? But then again, I was never one to play by the rules. Who knew what would happen.

Only one way to find out.

"Chaos Control!"


	6. Mysterious Hero

**Chapter Revised [x]**

* * *

><p><strong>(Travis' POV)<strong>

We were toast. Absolute toast. Emma and I looked at each other, drowning in our shared uncertainty, before looking back at our Dad. He was tapping his foot impatiently, and Mom was starting to freak out and breathe ten times heavier than usual. Then there was Grandpa was standing beside our Dad. He looked down at us in disappointment, his expression overflowing with anger. We were cornered.

"Both of you! I want you to tell us where Rachel went this instant!" Dad ordered.

Emma turned to face me. "Travis, let's just tell them. I don't want to lie anymore."

I shook my head. "No! We can't! It's not lying, we _promised_ we wouldn't tell them! She won't ever trust us again if we do. And what's the point of getting her in trouble if she only meant to help us?"

"But what if she's_ in_ trouble now? Don't you think she should be back already?"

"She'll get so mad at us. You know how Rachel is with getting revenge and after this she might-"

"ENOUGH!" Grandpa yelled. Thunder clashed loudly outside.

We knew better than to break from his eyes and look up towards the ceiling, but me and Emma were both just now noticing that a storm had started outside.

_Perfect. Of all times for there to be a storm, it had to be now. _

"Where did she go off to?" Grandpa demanded. His voice level made my headache worsen, and I couldn't help but wince, at both the pounding of the ache and his fury. I had seen him mad before, but when it involved family being in danger, his rage always stepped up to a whole new level. Why he was so protective of family, I had no idea.

Emma bravely took a step closer to them. I could see that she was getting ready to tell them everything, but by now I'd lost the energy to argue against it.

"Okay. Here's what happened, Grandpa," she said timidly. "We had bad headaches and woke Rachel up so she could find us some medicine. She didn't want us to take your medicine since there was only one pill left, so she went to the gas station to get more. We didn't think she would get lost, so I don't know what's taking her so long."

Grandpa's left eye twitched. "What…Are you kidding me! You've got to be mad! The city at night is no place for a girl her age! She could get kidnapped, or worse! Don't you have any idea how many sick freaks there are in Westopolis!"

I looked away. "Well, yeah. But for her to get kidnapped or something isn't very likely."

Grandpa's nostrils flared. He treaded past us and grabbed his coat off the coat hanger nearby, throwing it on over his pajamas and buttoning it crooked in his hurry. "Let's hope you're right. I'm going out to look for her. You guys stay here in case she comes back."

Dad stood up. "I'll go with you, Dad. I want to help. Oh, and you two! You are in a world of trouble!" he said, pointing at me and Emma. They opened the door to leave, and I could see past their bodies that it was starting to rain outside.

Mom threw her face into her hands and wept. "Oh Christ, my poor Rachel! God be with her! Send an angel down to protect her from any sort of danger! Please!" she cried out between sobs.

As we watched Dad and Grandpa leave and mother toss herself down onto the couch to bawl some more, I couldn't help but scoff. Everyone was being so over-dramatic.

**(Rachel's POV)**

"Mmmmmph!"

My screams were muffled by the cloth. I was flailing with everything I had, screaming into the material blocking my mouth until my voice was raspy. But nothing I did was able to save me, or even buy me some time. We were already far inside the alley.

I was pushed against the wall by the men as they crowded around me with disgusting eagerness. Rain had begun sprinkling around us when they dragged us here, but now it was a heavy downpour, just to add to the horror. I could hardly see them anymore through the water droplets clouding my eyes.

"So who goes first?" the driver from before asked them. It was too dark and wet to see them clearly anymore, but I could make out their blobbish silhouettes. The one that had been in the passenger seat flicked his tongue against the corner of his lip. "Me, I'll do it," he said.

I found myself giving up on resisting, and just turned away from him, whimpering angrily. The others all took a few steps back and watched as he aggressively tore my jacket off. After it slipped down to my ankles, he pinned both my arms above my head with one hand, and used his free hand to tear at my shirt. I felt my pulse pounding in my head.

_No way...I'm not going down without a fight!_

With one leg I kneed him as hard as I could in the groin. He swore loudly and released me only to clutch his pants. I fell to the ground and toppled onto my side, landing with a splash into a newly formed puddle. I picked myself up with shaking arms then used one hand to yank the cloth off of my mouth. But before I could scream, I caught him glaring at me murderously.

"You little bitch!"

The rest of them must have had some sort of pedophile inner code, because instead of acting right then and there, they all got closer instead, blocking me off from any possible means of escpae. One of them tossed the passenger guy a knife. He snagged it after making a quick recovery. "It's time you were taught a lesson," he said. He reared the knife back, ready to plunge it into me.

I didn't know where he was aiming, what tissue or organ was about to be affected, because I squeezed my eyes shut, too scared to yell or cry, and just tried my hardest to block out any pain that was awaiting me. I would never be able to get away after being stabbed. It was all over for me. I silently waited for the blade to sink in.

But it never did.

_...Wait…What?_

I heard the sound of angry grunting, and opened my eyes to see a large mess of the men's shadows wrestling off a dark, jagged figure. "Hey! Who the fu-" The driver yelled, but he was silenced after said figure attacked him. A few of them pulled out their own knives and crowbars, taking swings at whatever had ambushed him. The figure retaliated with tripping them, jumping up and punching them in the head and stomach, then kicking them so hard that they skidded a few feet away from where they'd fallen.

I watched in astonishment, feeling my body go numb.

_Someone's saving me. Someone heard my cry for help. Is this really happening? Is it…_

The men jumped up and began taking steps back. Lightning sliced through the sky, and I could see for a split-second that they had black eyes, plus bruises, welts, and gashes all over their body from the sprawl. I mentally scolded myself for not using that moment of light to see who my rescuer was.

"Son of a bitch!" one of them shouted as his mouth began to quiver. "W-W-Who are you?"

I then saw that my rescuer wasn't far from me. From what I could tell, he was not a human. In fact, his silhouette resembled Sonic the Hedgehog.

But that couldn't be. Wasn't Sonic in Station Square? Why would he be here? I could hardly think straight.

"Get out of here," the figure answered slowly, "Or I'll kill you all right now."

The voice depicted that it was a male after all. But he was no Sonic. It had a tone that was deep, soft-spoken, and velvety smooth. But at the same time, fierce and rather terrifying. Chills ran down my spine, and it made my eyes flutter.

All the men who had attacked me retreated, slipping over themselves before dissapearing completely. I wanted to pursue them. They didn't deserve to get away with what they attempted to do. But there was nothing left in me to even move.

_Nothing left in you…? What about the guy that just beat them all senseless!_

I felt faint after witnessing the scene, but I had to see who had saved me from those men. Without him I could be dead.

I stood up slowly, looking up towards the anthromorphic hedgehog.

Another clash of lightning cracked the sky open with light. It was still hard to see the hedgehog, since he was residing in the shadows. But I could see that his eyes were red. They were as rich and thick as blood.

He stared at me with a hard, hateful glare. His whole presence gave off a very cold and unwelcome feeling. Nonetheless, I found the courage to speak up, hugging myself as rain fell around us.

"Thank you..." I breathed out quietly. I felt the need to repeat it louder and clearer. "Thank you."

He continued glaring at me, with the rain bouncing off his body and quills. I didn't know what else to say after that. He seemed really mad at me. I felt like if I asked who he was, that would only anger him more.

"You should take better care of yourself," he finally said. His voice was still intimidating, even when it was directed at me. I widened my eyes as more thunder boomed around us. He looked down and mumbled. "Next time, I won't be around to save you."

He then pulled out a glowing red jewel. I stared at it, pushing my soaked hair out of my face and gaping at it awe-struck. A tingling sensation seeped into the pit of my stomach. It almost felt like my mind was sending signals that the jewel was somehow calling to something within me.

_Well, it is glowing. Jewels don't usually do that. It must be giving off some sort of powerful aura. I wish I knew what it was._

"Don't tell anyone else about this," he instructed me, interrupting my thoughts. He then lifted the jewel and shouted into the night. "Chaos Control!"

A blinding light formed around him and continued growing until he was swallowed whole. I squinted through the brightness, refusing to blink, let alone completely close my eyes. I didn't want to miss a single thing that he did.

But that was just it. After the light dimmed down to nothing, he was gone. He had disappeared into thin air.

I felt my legs go weak and collapsed against the wall of the alley-way. I was so lost. So confused. So _mesmerized_. I couldn't take it. I wanted answers, and I wanted them now.

Before another thought could even enter my brain, a familiar voice screeched through the pouring rain.

"Rachel! Rachel where are you!"

An inaudible gasp escaped my throat. It was my father's voice. My ears quickly traced the distance between me and his calls, and I realized that he wasn't far from where I stood.

I leaned down and picked my drenched jacket off the ground, holding it to my chest. I hadn't noticed that I was shaking. I tried to walking forward, but I couldn't. It felt like I'd completely shut down inside.

"Dad..." I said quietly. I meant to call out for him so he could locate me easier. But my voice felt like it was slowly slipping away. I violently trembled in my steps. "Dad...I'm…over here…" I whispered.

It was so hard to move. It almost felt like I was underwater, and it had nothing to do with the falling rain. I was frozen.

But after mustering up enough strength, I picked one leg up and placed in front of the other, repeating the method with my other leg. I slowly moved forward, completely blank, fueled on nothing but the ambition to get back home.

**(Shadow's POV)**

_That girl...How did she get herself into **that** kind of trouble? I was right. She really needed my help._

_She was outnumbered by those men. If I hadn't shown up, who knows what they could've done to her. They had it coming. But then again, she did too. What kind of intelligent person puts themselves in a position where they're powerless like that?_

_I know I'm going to regret saving her. She's going to run her mouth about what happened and somebody will figure out that I've returned. I might have made this mission a lot harder._

_Stupid human, getting in the way._

_At least she didn't see me. But still, I know Dr. Eggman's not going to be happy about this. __Ah who cares. Maybe she'll keep this a secret like I asked._

_I doubt it though._

I then remembered the way she looked. Her eyes...

_Her eyes were so...**familiar**._

_They reminded me of someone. The green color, the shape, right down to the eyelashes. But I can't put my finger on it._

_No matter._

_Let's just hope she doesn't tell anyone about me._

_And if she does,_

_She better hope that I don't run into her again._


	7. It Was Shadow After All

**Chapter Revised [x]**

* * *

><p><strong>(Travis' POV)<strong>

It'd only been around twenty minutes since Dad and Grandpa left to search for my sister, and already our mom was assuming the worst. She had curled up into a ball and was breathing heavily through her tears, rocking back and forth.

"She's okay. Nothing happened. She's okay. Nothing happened. She's okay. Nothing happened," Mom chanted in a cracked voice, pressing her jaw against her knees. Her eyes were as wide as plates, and her teeth were grinding together in a nails-on-a-chalkboard sort of way.

I was sitting at the dining table with Emma, since we were too scared to even get close to her when she was like this. I shook my head while drumming my fingers. "Of course she's okay, Mom. Don't be silly. There's nothing you need to worry about. You guys are blowing this way out of proportion!"

Right there, Mom whipped her head around to look at me, with this wild fire in her tear-filled eyes.

"Travis, you just be _quiet_! I watch the news every damn day! You think I'm not aware of how cruel the world can be? Anything can happen to her! She's a young girl, all alone in a dangerous city at night! So do not tell me I'm blowing this out of proportion! DO _NOT_!"

I pursed my lips nervously, panning over to Emma. "Sheesh. You're on my side?" I asked her.

She shrugged. "I don't know anymore."

We remained that way for another five minutes. But then, there was the sound of keys being jammed into the lock at the front door, followed by desperate jingling and twisting.

Before Emma and I could fully turn around, my mother jumped off the couch with ninja reflexes, taking slow steps towards the door before it finally swung open. There in the doorframe, stood my grandfather, father, and Rachel, apparently unharmed.

There was water trickling down their clothes after being drenched in the rain. A clash of lightning struck in the distance, adding more dramatic effect to their arrival.

I took a good look at Rachel, and although she didn't appear hurt, one look was enough to make it clear she had been through _something_. Her eyes were glassy and frightened, like she'd just witnessed something horrifying.

_At least she isn't dead, like everyone had thought. But why is she swaying, like she's dazed or something? And more importantly, why doesn't she have any Advil with her?"_

After shutting the door, Dad and Grandpa guided her to the couch like a wounded animal, where my mother once again sat down. Well, more like threw herself down. She wrapped her arms around my big sister protectively, kissing the side of her soaked head and thanking the heavens she was safe and sound. I noticed Rachel was shaking a lot. But it wasn't even that cold in here. Maybe she caught something from being in the storm too long.

No, it was beyond illness. Something had definitely happened to her. We could all see it.

"Yo! Where the heck were you?" Emma asked her from behind me. She was curious to know why our sister looked so traumatized. As was I, along with everyone else.

Mom shook her head, keeping her arms closed around her. "Shush, Emma. It's alright. It doesn't matter what happened, I'm just glad that my baby isn't hurt," she sighed through some leftover tears that had mostly fallen from joy.

Suddenly, my Grandpa angrily threw his house keys against an opposite wall. They landed with a loud clank, and then the silver pieces clattered to the floor.

"Don't _say_ that!" he shouted, causing everyone to stop and look at him, including my mother who felt as if he was targeting her. But he wasn't. He was glaring at only one person in the room, and that was Rachel.

He frowned at her while gritting his teeth. His face tightened and his hands curled into fists. "It is NOT alright! What in God's name were you thinking, running out like that? And without telling anyone! Do you know what could've happened had we not found you? And when we did find you, it was very obvious that you were more than lost. My own grand-daughter was walking through a thunderstorm alone, looking barely conscious, and I know there's a reason for that! Did someone attack you? Did anyone lay a hand on you? I want you to tell me what happened right now!"

Rachel's regretful gaze shifted up to meet his. She didn't say a word. It was like she was either too ashamed to tell him anything, or just wanted to keep it a secret. But why would she keep it from us? We were her family, her flesh and blood.

When she didn't answer, his face turned reddened with anger. "Dammit, Rachel! You're not doing this! Answer me right now! Don't you understand that I can't imagine the thought of anyone hurting you! If anyone did hurt you, I can make sure they never see the light of day again! I'm the G.U.N. Commander! Have you forgotten I have that authority!"

After he said that, the silent Rachel suddenly jolted her head up and shot back at him. "Stop it! Just stop it, please! Nobody hurt me, okay? A few guys tried to, but they didn't! Because someone saved me!"

The room became more than quiet. It was dangerously quiet. My mom stopped sobbing, my dad didn't ask questions, all Grandpa did was gape at her, while me and Emma stood there with our mouths hanging. We weren't sure what was more unbelievable: The fact that Rachel wasn't even the slightest bit intimidated by our grandfather when he was this mad, the fact that someone attacked her, or the fact that somebody had also saved her. We all got closer, waiting to hear more answers.

**(Shadow's POV)**

After I teleported away from the alley, I re-appeared inside the Egg Carrier, just one hall away from the control room where Dr. Eggman resided. As I proceeded with walking in its direction, a thousand thoughts crammed their way into my head.

_I wonder if that girl got home safely. Is she going to tell anyone about what she witnessed? She'd be wise not to, more for her sake than my own._

_Also, why does she appear so familiar? Better yet, why do I keep caring so much about what happens on her behalf? I almost feel like it's now my job to keep her out of danger. _

_But it isn't. That's stupid. It's not like I'm going to be seeing her again...in fact I know I won't. But I can't help but ask myself what makes her so different. She's not special or anything. She's just another human._

I heard thunder clash outside, and it brought me back to my senses. "Oh, look who's back!" Dr. Eggman shouted with fake enthusiasm from his chair. I stopped where I was and looked around the control room in confusion.

_I was really thinking so hard, I didn't even realize I had come in here. Get a hold of yourself, Shadow._

Dr. Eggman tilted his head to the side. "You're a tad early, you know. Eleven minutes to be exact. I thought you'd take advantage of what little time you had. What, Westopolis didn't have anything that sparked your interest?"

I looked back at him. "Actually, it's quite the opposite. I thought I should let you know I had a small setback upon my arrival."

He raised his eyebrows, sustaining a chuckle. "Oh really? What'd you get yourself into this time?"

"When I was outside Westopolis, I heard this person calling for help. And for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to ignore it and went to check it out. Turns out a young girl was being assaulted by four men. I didn't want to leave her there like that. I got involved and fought them off until they retreated. I know the men didn't see me since I moved so fast, but I'm not entirely sure about _her_. Either way there's the chance that she'll tell someone about the encounter. It might interfere with our plans."

He sighed. "That was definitely what I was not expecting you to say! So what you're getting across is if the police get in on it and figure out it was you who saved her, they might senf a lookout for you. Well that's...just peachy. Nothing you can't handle, I'm sure. However it will be a nuisance.

That aside, I must say, from what I know about you, it's completely out of your nature to help a human. What brought you to help this one?"

I looked down, unsure of how to answer him. For the first time in years, I found that I was speechless.

"I...think it was the way she was screaming for help. I wanted to see what kind of danger she was in. And it was clearly something she couldn't handle. If I hadn't shown up, who knows what sick crimes those men would have commited. It was satisfying to beat them, I'll admit, which is something I haven't experienced in a while."

My eyes furrowed. "And then the actual victim herself. I can't explain why, but she seemed very familiar. Especially in the eyes."

Dr. Eggman scoffed and added mockery into his voice. "Oh wow, you really came back a changed hedgehog, Shadow. First you save human girls from sexual predators, and now you get lost in their eyes? These sixteen years have been effective on you."

"No. Not like that," I hissed. "She just reminded me of someone I may have known in the past. That's it."

He shrugged. "Huh. Well, that being said. I say we get to devising our plans. Maybe make a few tweaks here and there since you found a girl who looked 'familiar'," he said, putting air quotes around 'familiar', "and now she might go run her mouth to the world that the Ultimate Life Form, Shadow the Hedgehog, has returned. All because you decided to have a heart and save the dear sweet little human from peril.

Needless to say, I wouldn't worry if I were you. That girl probably didn't realize who you are."

I nodded. "Of course she didn't. She's of a different generation than the ones who could even be remotely aware of me. But still."

He smiled. "Alright then. Let's put this all this hubbub behind us. Time to get to work."

**(Rachel's POV)**

My mind was discombobulated. I was thinking back to the scene in the alley, and my mysterious rescuer.

_Who are you? Why did you help me? And why don't you want me to tell anybody that you saved me? _These questions played themselves over and over. The curiosity was eating me alive.

Here I was, surrounded by my family, who were all concerned about me and my well-being because they loved me. But instead of feeling cared for, I felt trapped. I had to tell them. They would never trust me again if I kept it a secret. Grandpa was totally irate. I kept hearing him yell words, but somehow his speech sounded slurred to me, as if we were in an underwater cavern. I couldn't process what he was saying at all, due to me being so deep in thought.

_That hedgehog wanted me to keep it a secret, but I can't. I simply can't. This is too big of an issue. Love and family overrides any sort of agreement or command. I'm sorry. They deserve to know the truth._

So finally, I came out and said it, to just end all their questions. My entry was less than subtle, though.

"Stop it! Just stop it, please! Nobody hurt me, okay? A few guys tried to, but they didn't! Because someone saved me!" I snapped.

Everyone fell silent and just stared at me. I couldn't bring myself to look at any of them, except my grandpa, whereas it was impossible to avoid his eyes. He seemed angry, relieved, confused, and upset, all at the same time. I then felt something warm and wet running down my face. I brought my hand up and touched the liquid on the side of my cheek with two fingers, then studied them.

_Wha-...Water. Is this from the rain outside? Why is it so warm?_

But then I realized, it was my own tears. I had started to cry, and hadn't even realized it. Crying was something I rarely did. But who wouldn't do it now if they were in my shoes? This was all overwhelming beyond words.

Grandpa, seeing that I had started to cry, knelt down onto one knee so that our heads were almost level, his a tac lower, so I found myself looking down at him. He placed his hand gently on my shoulder, but despite his soft touch, he was still very serious. "You can tell us what happened, Rachel. Don't be afraid to. We only care so much because we love you."

He then shifted his gaze towards the twins. "You two, please go to the guest-bedroom for now. Give us a moment to talk to your sister alone. We'll call you out when it's over."

They both surprisingly obeyed and left the room, leaving me with my grandfather and parents. I was extremely uncomfortable, and wanted nothing more than to tear away and go somewhere to be left alone. But I had to tell them sooner or later. I took a deep breath.

"Okay. A-After I left the gas station, this car pulled up to me. There were guys inside of it harassing me and asking if I wanted to go somewhere with them. I tried to ignore them and kept walking, but then they all got out at once and grabbed me."

Mom squeaked in horror next to me. It made me pause for a moment. I tried composing myself, not knowing if I could tell this story without breaking down.

"They tied a rag around my mouth, and then took me into an alley way," I stopped and my voice got lower, as more tears started to fall. "One of them started trying to pull my shirt off. I kicked him back. He then took out a knife and went to stab me."

Mom squeaked again, covering her mouth with one hand. I didn't dare turn around and see my father's expression, knowing his was probably not nearly as dainty as my mother's. But even then my grandpa's had to be the worst of all three of them, and I couldn't look away from his. He wore a scowl so terrifying, it could ward off even the bravest man. There were various veins bulging out on the side of his head, and his eyes sharpened at the edges.

"But wait! He never did!" I said quickly. "Nothing happened to me at all! Someone...no..._something_...came out of the shadows and attacked them all. It happened so fast, I could hardly see what was happening. But he left them bruised and bloodied, and maybe even with broken bones. They all ran away...and before I could say hardly anything, he asked me not to tell anyone that I'd seen him. And then he disappeared...just like that."

The eerie silence dragged on for a few agonizing seconds. I heard a loud **POUND** behind me, causing me to jump. When I flung around I saw my dad had punched the wall.

He swore loudly. "HOW DARE SOMEONE DO THAT TO MY DAUGHTER! HOW DARE THEY! OH, I'LL KILL THEM!"

He then dropped his raised arm and looked back at me. "I'm so sorry this happened to you, Rachel. I'm sorry I didn't get there sooner. I'll find those men that tried to hurt you. They won't get away with this!" he then punched the wall again, in the same spot.

Normally, my grandpa would've told him something along the lines of: "Watch that wall son, you'll pay for whatever damage you cause it." But instead, he tapped my shoulder once. I turned back around to face him. His face was still hard, but compared to how twisted it was earlier, it looked more sympathetic now.

"Do you have any idea why this mysterious hero of yours didn't want you to tell anyone about him?" he asked, trying to get to the bottom of the situation.

I shook my head sadly. "No. I wish I knew myself. But he never said why."

He got a little closer. "What did he look like?"

I blinked a few times and dipped my head down. "I didn't get a good look at him. He never completely showed himself. But...grandpa."

I'd forgotten to mention one of the most important details.

"He wasn't even human. He was a hedgehog, just like Sonic."

Grandpa frowned in confusion. "...What? A hedgehog you say? Are you sure?"

I nodded. "I'm absolutely positive. He had the shape and form of a large hedgehog. In fact, I mistook him for Sonic at first. But it wasn't him."

"And how do you know that?" he asked.

I fell back into thought. "His eyes...instead of being light green like Sonic's, they were crimson red. The reddest red I've ever seen in my life. Like rubies...like...pools of blood even. His voice was soft, low, in a scary sort of way. And when he disappeared, he used a red jewel that somehow teleported him away from where he stood...and..."

I paused. "Grandpa, are you okay?"

My grandfather's expression had gone from angry, to a look of horror. His eyes were wide and scared. His mouth opened, but no words came out.

My mom stood up and patted him on the back gently, wiping away some of her tears. "D-Dad? Abraham? Is something wrong?" she asked. My father appeared by his side too. He looked shaken as well from everything I'd told them, but still thoroughly concerned. "What's the matter with you?"

Grandpa jumped to his feet quickly, taking a few steps backwards until he collided with the T.V. It came very close to tumbling over, but not quite. His eyes never moved away from mine.

"No..." he breathed in fear. "Impossible...it can't be..."

I got up as well, gaping at my grandfather. He appeared to be slipping into a state of insanity.

"What are you talking about?" my dad questioned him in worry.

Grandpa quivered. For a second, I thought he was going to have a heart attack. But then he stopped, looking down in panic.

"Shadow..." he whispered disbelievingly.

I furrowed my eyebrows at him.

His eyes then broke away, a bead of sweat ran down the side of his face. "Shadow the Hedgehog."

My mom and dad exchanged confused glances. "What? Who's Shadow the…Hedgehog?" my dad asked him.

"Yeah, and why do you look so panicked?" my mom added.

But I wasn't as in the dark. I knew exactly what he meant...

My eyelids widened to the point that I could feel my eyelashes tickling my brow-bone. It felt like every sound in the world had shut off. The only thing I could hear was my pounding heart.

_There's no way. There's just no way. He's right, it's not possible. It's not true._

Suddenly, memories entered my mind without warning.

_"__We went aboard a large vessel known as the Space Colony ARK, also known as the very first space colony in the world. It was housed for scientific testing and experimentation."_

_"I did become best friends with his granddaughter. Her name was Maria Robotnik."_

_"__Shadow the Hedgehog is our villain. Do you understand? He was a synthetic life-form who was supposed to be immortal, meaning he couldn't die, and not to mention extremely powerful. But he was the very reason everyone I knew and loved was killed aboard the ARK"_

_"Innocent people died because of him, and then he takes more lives. That's crazy. That's purely evil. So…what happened to him? Where is he now?"_

_Where is he now?_

_Where is he now?_

The younger me's voice echoed around my skull.

_"I hope I never come across the likes of you. If you haven't already, I want you to die."_

Fast fowarding to now.

_"Hey baby, what are you doing out here all alone? Don't you have a man to take care of you?"_

_"NO! Somebody help me!"_

_"It's time you were taught a lesson."_

Thunder struck through my vision, mimicking the kind I saw in the alley.

_"Son of a bitch! W-W-Who are you?"_

_"Get out of here. Or I'll kill you all right now."_

The red eyes from before flashed before me.

_"Don't tell anyone else about this."_

I then saw the old picture from my grandfather's wallet. The sepia picture of Maria.

_"**Chaos control!"**_

Then the sound of a gunshot.

A bullet hole had gone clean through Maria's chest in the picture, before the image slowly faded into darkness.

A hand flew around the heart-shaped charm of my necklace, or Maria's necklace.

My whole world came crashing down right there. I encountered Shadow the Hedgehog, and had not even known it. What were the odds that something like that would happen? Of all people in the world, it had to be the one creature I loathed. He was the very murderer that brought so many people into misery. The evil that mercilessly tortured the innocent souls of those weaker than him. The very being that deserved to be in Hell. _Shadow the Hedgehog. _

And he just saved my life.

I collapsed back on the couch, falling onto my side. Everything melted to black. Before I could stop myself, I fell out of consciousness.

**(A/N) Clifff hanger. Please leave a review, they motivate me. Tell me what you like and dislike about this story, and I'll try to fix any of the flaws.**

**Btw, has anyone noticed that Shadow and Rachel are usually doing the same thing at the same time? Whether it's looking out windows, thinking about the same scenes, remembering the same things, and even explaining the story to other people. Even the talk about eyes o.O That wasn't intentional, but maybe the fact that I did that accidently is the sign of a bad author? You be the judge.**

**But let's keep in mind that their situations are still relatively different.**

**Oh and whoever is waiting for it, let me go ahead and spoil [even though it already says so in the story's summary -.-] that Shadow will be kidnapping Rachel soon. Okay, thanks for reading! Bye!**


	8. A Visit from Sonic and the Gang

**Chapter Revised [x]**

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><p><strong>(Rachel's POV)<strong>

**DING DONG!**

My body shifted slowly on top of the couch cushions. "Mmmm? Mmm..." I moaned tiredly, searching for another comfortable position.

_Did the doorbell just ring or was that my imagination? Oh please let it be my imagination. I just want to sleep._

A few minutes of silence passed, and I started to drift away again, sinking into another deep slumber...

**DING DONG!**

"Ugh!" I cried out tiredly, pulling myself up into a sitting posture and rubbing one of my eyes with my knuckle. I took a look a look out the windows in the living room. Through the blinds, I could see orange daylight coming through and printing lines on the wooden floor.

_Morning already? I wonder what time it is. Who the heck would show up this early?_

But then, I forgot about the people waiting outside completely. All the events from yesterday hit me like a ton of bricks. A sudden breath hitched in my throat, and I found myself gripping onto the necklace's chain for comfort.

_Shadow the Hedgehog. He returned. He's in Westopolis. I…I met him._

_Wait a second. Where'd my family go? Did they leave me home alone? This isn't even my home, it's Grandpa's. How could they just leave me like that after everything that's happened!_

**DING DONG!**

The person at the door was now knocking.

"Hello?" a husky voice called from the other side after four urgent knocks. "Is anyone in there?"

I looked towards the door whilst holding the necklace, rising up and stepping cautiously towards it. I realized I'd grown an irrational fear of strangers after what happened last night. After staring at the door like it was seconds away from exploding, I finally spoke up.

"W-Who..." I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. "Who is it?"

At first, the person didn't answer. Then another voice spoke up. "That doesn't sound like the G.U.N. commander," the voice said. The owner sounded young, like a boy who had not yet hit puberty.

Now another voice had chimed in, this time it sounded like it belonged to a slightly older female. "Maybe I should just use my hammer to bust the door down. We don't have time for this nonsense!" She sounded only about thirteen or fourteen.

The voices, despite being foreign, somehow granted me comfort in hearing the youth in them. It sounded like they were just kids. What did I have to be afraid of?

I wrapped a hand around the door knob and yanked it open. Light hit my eyes instantly, causing me to squint until they'd finally adjusted. When I opened them all the way, what I saw caused me to step back in shock. "What the-?" I choked out. My hair stood on end.

Everyone's favorite heroic blue hedgehog, also known as the Fastest Thing Alive, peered back at me happily. He flashed a casual wink and held up his trademark thumbs-up sign. "How's it going? I'm Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog!" he said, radiating with an outgoing and friendly vibe. "Is this the residence of Abraham Tower? You wouldn't happen to be Rachel Tower, would you?"

I gazed at him in awe, my bottom lip barely cupping back a building puddle of drool. I had never been this close to Sonic the Hedgehog before. Ever. He was one of the biggest idols in the world, if not the biggest. It felt so surreal. He was a world famous hero, for, well saving the world! And he was standing right there in front of me! I couldn't believe this was happening. Yesterday was a scary rollercoaster ride, but this, in some ways, definitely made up for it.

I then realized he'd asked me a question and straightened up. I'd gotten so caught up in the shock that I managed to forget my own name._ Oh yeah, Rachel Tower._

_Well then say it you moron!_

"Yes! Yes it is. And yes I am."

I then stopped and scanned over the other anthromorphic characters that stood on both sides of him. There was the red echidna with spikes on his gloves who I recognized as Knuckles the Echidna, a twin-tailed orange fox, whom everyone called Tails, (He was usually seen flying around Station Square in a blue jet) and a female hedgehog who was colored a rosy pink and had short quills to substitute hair. She also wore a red dress and matching headband. I didn't know her name, but I'd seen her around before somewhere.

According to my parents, who were always up to date with worldly facts after reading the 'Did You Know' section in the news articles every morning, Sonic and his friends hardly aged over the past sixteen years, since their bodies didn't age like ours did. One year to us was the equivalent of one month to them. So they only appeared physically older by a year and few months. But they had grown significantly taller. Just a few more inches and we would've all been level. Well, minus Tails and the pink hedgehog, who still looked like children.

The pink hedgehog looked me up and down. "So you're the one who ran into Shadow?" she asked curiously.

I fought back a shudder. "Uhm, yes. Please come in," I said stiffly, with all the woes bombarding me again. I allowed them to enter the house before shutting the door. At first they all stood around, examining the house carefully. The pink hedgehog jumped onto the couch out of nowhere, stretching in the place where I slept.

Her legs wove around themselves in delight. "My, what a cute and cozy little couch!" she exclaimed. I narrowed my eyes at her, looking back at Sonic, Knuckles and Tails for an explanation. Sonic gave a reassuring smile. "Sorry about Amy, just try your best to ignore her. She didn't get any sleep last night, so at this point she would probably find a rock comfortable."

I looked back at her. Amy was her name. And she didn't get any sleep last night? She seemed to have more than enough energy right before they came in.

"She isn't the only one. Not a single one of us went to bed last night," Knuckles said in a far more serious tone than his blue comrade. His low, husky voice matched the one that had been knocking on the door. "We all stayed up wondering if it was really true that Shadow was back on Earth. We all thought him to be dead or at least somewhere in a different galaxy, far out of Earth's reach."

Once again, I involuntarily shuddered. "I suppose we can't always be so lucky. I already knew who Shadow before this. My grandpa told me the story concerning him and the Space Colony ARK when I was seven years old. Ever since then, I wanted to believe the same thing. I hated him."

Sonic and Tails looked at me, confused by my knowledge of the Space Colony ARK, and my hostility towards Shadow. However, Knuckles didn't seem fazed. Amy had surprisingly already fallen asleep on the couch, so she had no comment on the matter.

They weren't kidding when they said she was exhausted.

"Don't worry. We're not too fond of the guy either. Just when you think you've gotten rid of him for good, he finds a way to show up at the most random, most unexpected time. I personally have had enough of him and the trouble he causes," Knuckles spat in hatred.

Tails looked a little a bit more merciful. "But don't forget you guys, he did save Earth from the Biolizard, and he never got to using the Eclipse Cannon to destroy the planet like he had sought to from the beginning. He had a change of heart, and some of it partly wasn't his fault. In the end though, he helped save the whole planet, even sacrificing himself in the process.

AND, let's not forget when we were nearly defeated thanks to the Metarex, he teamed up with Sonic to save us. So you have to admit, he's helped us at times," Tails reasoned on.

Knuckles shook his head. "Tails that is complete malarkey! Who cares if he didn't use the Eclipse Cannon, the point is he was going to originally for his own selfish reasons! And it wasn't considered a sacrifice if he _lived._ Sonic could've handled the BioLizard himself in some way. And don't you even remember him trying to kill Cosmo?"

Sonic widened his eyes. "_Knuckles_!" he said in surprise.

I noticed Tails had gone extremely tense, and even became a little sad. I honestly had no idea what they were talking about. Metarex? Cosmo? I didn't know who this Cosmo person was, but obviously it was someone that mattered to the little fox a lot, judging by the hurt look in his eyes.

Knuckles looked back at me. "Long story short, Shadow can be a hero as much as he can be a villain. All the good I can remember him doing was just cancelled out by how much trouble he unleashed beforehand. Don't be fooled by the fact that he saved you last night."

I blinked. "W-What? You know about that? How?"

Sonic looked away from Tails, who appeared to be trying to console himself. His eyes met mine, expressing care and concern.

"The Commander called us late last night, telling us that Shadow the Hedgehog was here in Westopolis. At first, we weren't sure if we could believe him, and thought he'd been mistaken or something. But he then said that his sixteen year old grand-daughter was the one who saw him. Apparently Rachel, you were attacked by a group of men, and a hidden figure came and fought them off. From your description of him, your grandfather automatically knew it was Shadow that you were talking about. The main indicator was you claimed he was a hedgehog that resembled me, but had red eyes and teleported with a red gem."

I nodded. "That's right. He held it up and yelled 'Chaos Control'. And then he was gone. I don't remember if my grandfather ever mentioned that he could do that or not. But it happened."

They all nodded towards me. "Yeah, that confirms it. Chaos Control is an ability that only Shadow and I possess," Sonic said. "I didn't even know I could do it too until I met him. Chaos Control is something that existed before him. It's something that's produced from the power of Chaos. But you usually need all seven Chaos Emeralds to make it happen. He has the power to summon it with only one. It takes a lot out of me, but he can do it effortlessly."

I bit my lip. This was becoming a little too real for me.

A Chaos Emerald. That was what that jewel was. And there were seven more.

I decided not to tell them about the weird connection I felt after seeing it. It probably meant nothing.

After I retained all their information, I looked down at the floor, sliding my socked foot back and forth awkwardly.

"So, what happens now?" I asked him.

He shrugged. "That's just it; we're not sure what action to take at this point. We were a little unprepared as you can imagine! But no matter. We'll just have to wait and see. I'm sure Shadow didn't just come here for no reason. He probably has business to take care of, meaning he could be working with Eggman again too." He threw his hands apart and shrugged. "I guess old habits die hard."

Tails nodded. He was more perked up than he had been previously. "Oh and by the way, if you're wondering where your family is, you don't need to worry. Your Grandfather went to G.U.N.'s base to inform the troops about Shadow's return. This might be far more serious than you realize, Rachel. Hero or not, he's still a threat to the human race, and precautions have to be taken. He said something about preparing missiles for defense, and putting more guards out on watch, just to ensure safety. As for your parents and siblings, they went to the Subway Station, and let you stay so you could talk with us and provide some explanation.

The commander told us to stop by and check on you, to make sure you were okay while everyone was gone. Your father was going to stay behind, but we advised that he let us speak with you alone.

Also, we didn't mean to wake you up. We just figured you'd be awake already. It's nearly noon. But it's also understandable since you didn't get much rest last night."

I just smiled at him, blushing with embarrassment. "Don't be sorry. I don't mind. I needed to wake up eventually. And being that it's you guys, I have no problem whatsoever.

But do you happen to know _why_ my parents are at the subway station?"

"They want to get scheduled to get on the first train back home to Station Square, so they can take you home, where you'll be safe," he answered.

Knuckles frowned. "Yeah, we were asked to stay once arriving in Westopolis just in case any of Egg-butt's robots show up, or even better, if Shadow shows up. He'll get taught a lesson he won't soon forget!" he declared, cracking his knuckles and throwing a few practice punches.

I couldn't help but giggle. A part of me wanted to help them bring Shadow to justice.

_But I think I really would be better off home. It's where I belong. I'll leave it to them._

Sonic got closer. "Anyways, once we get a call from your parents to let us know they found available seats on the next train, you can get your stuff and take a taxi cab there. I'll go with you if you want me to, you know, as an escort," he said with an anticipated grin.

I smiled back at him, my heart doing back flips and just how genuine that grin of his was. How could I turn something like that down? "Thank you, Sonic. I would like that a lot."

I then hurried to the guest-bedroom to get dressed.

After changing into a regular white T-shirt with a loose black cardigan, a pair of denim Capri-pants, and my usual black tennis shoes, I went to the bathroom to fix my hair. Right before I went in, I grabbed my mp3 player out of my overnight bag and crammed the headphones into my ears. After selecting a song, I went to work on my appearance in the mirror.

The music usually acted as a temporary barrier for my thoughts. But it barely filtered anything. I ran the brush through my hair tentatively, taking a few breaths every now and again and letting everything slowly sink in.

_Don't worry Rachel. Shadow may be out on the loose now, but he will get caught. Whatever kind of havoc he's trying to cause, Sonic and the others will stop him before the situation has a chance to get out of hand. _

_You need not worry about him anymore. Even if he saved you, it still doesn't change a thing about the way you feel about him..._

I then stopped myself. Even I found myself being a little harsh. _Not only did he save me from getting raped and injured, he might have saved my life as well. Do I really still hate him after that?_

I then remembered everything my grandfather told me about him. Maria's _vain_ death. The _vain_ deaths of innocent soldiers. The times when he aided the Black Arms, even though I was a too young at the time to understand what was happening. I definitely understood it all crystal clear now. The heart shaped necklace glistened a blue luster in the lighting of the bathroom. I slowly continued on my hair, sighing absent-mindedly to myself.

_Yes. Yes I do. And I'll never stop. I'm smart enough to tell good from bad._

I finally managed to push those lingering thoughts aside and let the music take my mind away from the world.

** (Shadow'S POV)**

"We're just going to remain here in the Mystic Ruins the whole time?" I asked, referring to the plan that Dr. Eggman told me the night before.

He nodded with a smile, turning around in his chair to face me. "Indeed. The Subway Station isn't far from here. There won't be any guards, weapons, or any means of defense there, or at least none that I know of. Even if that girl did happen to tell someone about you, what are they gonna do, hire heavy-set police equipped with machine guns? I don't think it happens that fast.

So, first things first. You'll take Abraham Tower's son hostage, keeping him at gun-point, gun supplied courtesy of yours truly, then bring him back to the Egg Carrier. After that's out of the way, we'll hover over Westopolis, I'll drop my robots down to create mass hysteria and deliver the news that we have the commander's son captive, and if he doesn't hand over the Chaos Emerald we won't hesitate to kill him. After we got the Chaos Emerald in our possession, we'll give him back his puny little son and be on our way. And you will follow through with your part of the deal."

I had ignored everything he said after the first few sentences. I already knew the plan forwards and backwards. The only thing I was unsure of was if I had to go back to Westopolis to kidnap the Commander's son. But, I guess we were waiting here, for their train to come to us.

I looked at the Doctor. "What do we do if the Commander resists and doesn't give us the Chaos Emerald?"

He paused and tapped a finger against the corner of his lip in thought. "Hm, I guess we can either continue to hold his son hostage, or we can kill him and kidnap another family member in his place. Maybe his daughter-in-law, or one of his grandchildren. That would definitely be a wake-up call, don't you think? Though, murder isn't really my first option. Not this time, at least."

I tensed up. Hopefully we wouldn't have to resort kidnapping other humans. Especially the grandchildren. I hated kids with every fiber of my being. But he was right. Doing so would scare the Commander straight into submission.

Dr. Eggman turned his back to me and glanced down the controls. "Now all we do is play the waiting game. Would you like a beverage or something? Maybe a cup of coffee?"

I didn't answer. I simply left the control room, making no sound except for those of my footsteps. Maybe walking around for a while would kill some time.

But for some reason, my mind kept wandering back to that girl from last night.

Sometimes I was able to forget about her, but other times I couldn't get the image of face out of my head. I kept seeing her dark green eyes. The way they were after I saved her from those disgusting men, like a lost, wide-eyed child. Her look of fear and confusion, lit up and set into glow by the thunder clapping around us.

It was almost difficult for me to leave her the way I did. A part of me wished I could've stayed for a moment longer to ensure nothing would happen as soon as I was gone.

Oh well. That was in the past.

It was over with. And now it was time to move on.

**(A/N) Like zomg, the next chapter will be THE chapter that I have been waiting to write since I started this story. The chapert of the kidnapping! (And Shadow and Rachel's first real encounter, with light, no rain, and stuff) I'll write it whether you review or not, but reviews help my try harder :) Anyways, I know this chapter was kind of boring. I tried to make it as interesting as possible, and failed. Okay well until next time. **


	9. Kidnapped

**Chapter Revised [x]**

* * *

><p><strong>(Rachel's POV)<strong>

I was jittering all over in order to secrete my excitement. Here I was, sitting in a cab, with _the_ Sonic the Hedgehog! I attempted to calm myself down and play it cool, not wanting to be like the rest of his crazy fans. But it was easier said than done. This was a bigger deal for me than I could put into words.

Almost immediately after I had finished zipping my bags closed and getting ready, Tails informed me that my family had called. They found available spots on the next train, and I needed to get there fast before it left us behind.

I gathered my belongings, said goodbye to him, Knuckles, and even the sleeping Amy who just mumbled in response, then asked Sonic if he would still like to accompany me. He was more than happy to, and followed me out the door.

So, here we were.

We'd been sitting in the taxi for a few minutes now, and hadn't said a single word to each other. The person doing all the talking was, believe it or not, the freaking taxi-driver. He knew all about Sonic, apparently knowing more than Sonic himself, and was kind enough to share every last bit of information with us. He was obviously a huge fan.

"...Oh dude. And then Eggman's robots like came out of nowhere man! Out of NOWHERE! I was there! I was like 'Woaahhhh!' It was the friggin coolest thing ever man. No no no, I take that back. What was cooler was when you, Sonic, showed up and swirled around them using Sonic Wind, and it was like WHOOOSHH! And then you see all these robots flying around then crashing to the ground like SMASH! POW! And then ZIP! They're out like cheap lights! And then you used your homing attack to take out the tougher ones, and I was like 'No way man! No friggin way!' My friend and I tried to get it on camera and YouTube that bad boy, but he left his camera at his house. But that doesn't matter. Now I can tell him that THE Sonic the Hedgehog was in the backseat of my taxi! And that I was the one who took him to his sought after destination! Along with...yeah some other chick who I don't know," he said, eyeing me in the rear-view mirror.

I stared back at him playfully, a little embarrassed for him after his fan boy outburst. Sonic shrugged it off like it was a normal thing. _Well, it must be for him_. He flashed a charismatic grin at the driver. "Well thanks for that. I appreciate the support," he said casually.

The giddy driver continued on and on about his craze over Sonic the Hedgehog and how the little Blue Blur's 'epic scale' was 'totally spilling over dude'. It was rather entertaining, but I kind of wished he me would leave us alone so I could get a chance to have a conversation with the hero myself. After all, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity! I wanted to know more about him. Other than saving the world, what did he do for a living? What were his hobbies, his advice, his aspirations?

But alas, the driver hogged his attention with his own stories, while I sat there in bitter silence.

After we arrived at the Westopolis Subway Train Station, we both bid farewells to the taxi-driver and stepped out of the car. But before we could even take five steps, he jumped out and ran after us.

"Wait! Wait! Mr. Sonic dude! Wait up a minute!"

Sonic turned around with a sigh, looking at the frantic man. "What's up?"

He shoved a black sharpie marker into the hedgehog's hand. "Is it cool if I have your autograph? Please dude? Please?"

Sonic nodded with a smirk. "Sure thing, but I need to make it quick. Got any paper on you?"

The taxi-driver shook his head with a sly grin. "Not exactly. But that's okay." he then leaned down so that his head got uncomfortably close to Sonic. He stepped closer and whispered. "Sign...my...face..."

Sonic cocked an eyebrow, looking at the taxi-driver who was flaunting his forehead happily. He cringed and scribbled his name quickly across, then handed him back the marker. "Okay, later pal!" he said, grabbing my arm and pulling me along as he ran underground into the station while the driver squealed like a girl in the building distance.

I knew Sonic was capable of running MUCH faster, but I could hardly keep up with him as he was. I stumbled over my own feet, and nearly dropped my belongings a few times. It was hard to determine whether he was running away from the weird obsessed fan, or trying to find my family before we missed the train.

After we reached a certain floor level underground, he slowed his pace and released my arm. I laid my own hand over the area and grinned.

_Sonic was holding my arm!_

My brow then furrowed._ Keep it together, Rachel. Play it cool. At this rate, you're no better than that taxi driver._

I noticed that everyone was pointing in my and Sonic's direction, looking surprised, curious, or simply smiling as he passed. One young woman cried out in joy when she saw him and took a picture with her cell-phone, which caused me to cringe.

_Great. That means I'm in that picture too._

Two other women grinned when they noticed him, but then frowned after seeing me walk beside him. Everyone who was aware of his presence was also aware of mine, and they didn't seem to like it. They were all murmuring to one another. I could make out things like "Sonic the Hedgehog's here," and "Who the heck is that girl with him?" and another one who said, "My gosh, she's looks so young, like a little kid." And even to my embarrassment, I heard someone say, "Maybe that's his new rumored girlfriend."

Sonic never said one word to any of them. He just kept walking happily with me treading behind. I wondered if he could hear the same things I was hearing, and if he did, why didn't he tell them straight up that they were wrong? I wasn't even the center of focus, and it was annoying _me_. If he didn't, there was the chance that gossip would spread like wildfire. I'd seen Sonic's face on the covers of magazines, and sometimes the headlines about him were made up of false information, or even the silliest accusations

Didn't that bother him at all?

I felt extremely out of place, being a part of Sonic's spotlight. I wasn't famous, nor would I ever be famous. Plus it was hard for me to strut casually like celebrities do when the paparazzi follow them. I knew that I appeared shy, awkward, and uncomfortable. If a camera was pointing my way to capture an image of Sonic, I tried to turn away from it, only to be staring another camera in the face. It was a nuisance to say the least. But, I couldn't help but notice that this was nothing compared to what it would've been like in Station Square, and he was a local there! People would've probably stampeded me down by now and crowded around him so tightly there wouldn't even be space to breathe. The people here just didn't seem as...insane in that sense.

"Look, I see your Mom and Dad over there," I heard him say. I stopped where I was and looked in the direction he was looking in. Sure enough, my parents were standing nearby, eagerly waving back at us. Emma and Travis however, were frozen in shock, gaping at Sonic with disbelieving expressions. I bit my tongue to keep from laughing at them. I could see envy written all over their faces, but it was understandable. I would be jealous if they got to be next to Sonic too.

Sonic then turned around and grasped my hand, shaking it firmly. "Well it was nice meeting you, Rachel. And I'm sorry about that whole incident last night. Just remember, if you ever need help back in Station Square, if anyone attacks you like that again, I'll be there to put them in their place," he said.

I grinned and shook his hand back. The thought of him being able to protect me in my home city was undeniably comforting. "Thank you, Sonic. For everything. Be careful while you're here."

He winked. "I'm more worried about your safety. But I appreciate that anyway. You be careful too."

"I will be! So...uhh...I guess until then, this is goodbye..." I said, almost sad that he was leaving so soon.

He shook his head. "No, not goodbye! See you soon."

I laughed softly and nodded. "Right, see you soon."

We then went our separate ways. I walked over to my family, only to be smothered in hugs and kisses. My mother's were the worst. Her embraces nearly crushed my rib cage. But I didn't mind like I usually would.

I looked back over at Sonic, who smiled at the sight before turning and running off. His speed left behind a wind that blew over us, tussling our clothes and hair.

_Yes. See you soon, Sonic._

I breathed heavily to fill my lungs with confined oxygen before returning my family's suffocating hugs.

Soon, I would be home. I would be safe. I would be out of harm's way.

I would be where I belonged.

**(Shadow's POV)**

After looking at a picture of the Commander's son, whose name was David Tower, I memorized his face so I would know who to pick out of the crowf after getting on the train. I'd decided to take it upon myself and made a small change in our plan. Instead of waiting hours for him to arrive in the Mystic Ruins, I would just go nab him off the train, where people inside wouldn't be able to call for help or do anything. They would have to wait until they reached the surface to tell someone what they witnessed, since cell-phones lost their signal underground. I wasn't sure why I didn't think of that sooner.

David Tower was a tall man, his stature was at least 6"11. He had light brown hair and hazel blue eyes. Even though I could see a slight resemblance between him and his military father, he himself had not carried on that strong, hard-faced trait. His features were incredibly undefined, so he appeared harmless.

_This will be all too easy._

I clutched the gun in one hand and the Chaos Emerald in the other. My eyes closed with concentration.

_The Subway Train in Westopolis. Take me to the Subway Train. Near where David Tower is._

_Take me there. Now._

"Chaos Control!" I shouted, disappearing from the Egg Carrier once the light surrounded me. The plan was finally in motion. It had been rather difficult for me to focus, so I warped slower than I usually did.

After I felt the energy die, I realized I had reappeared somewhere. The only problem was, I couldn't see a damn thing. It was pitch black in every direction. I couldn't even make out my own hand wavering in front of my face.

The reason was, I realized, that I must've been inside the tunnel. I was standing on a narrow rail, carefully balancing myself on the sleek metal before jumping to the side and landing next to a concrete wall.

The ground shook underneath my feet. A train was on its way.

There was a slim chance that it was the same train David Tower was on, since Dr. Eggman told me his train should've departed by now. I looked down at the red Chaos Emerald in my hand, tightening my grasp around it. It glowed dimly in response.

It would be too hard to warp into the same train that Tower was in, considering that I didn't know which train it was. And besides, the trains were moving too fast and warping into something of that speed might not end well. I would just have to wait and see which one came, and get inside. If he wasn't there, I would just jump out and continue the search on another. Who cares about who sees me now, it's not like they can alert anyone in time.

The ground started to shake even harder. To my left, I heard a loud, grinding sound. It was getting closer. I jumped back onto the rail, facing the source of it.

_Here we go._

**(Rachel'S POV)**

I slumped back into my seat tiredly. It was a relief that the train had finally taken off. When people were boarding our train, Train 41, they had been taking their precious time finding a place to sit or stand on the train, even though there was already limited space to begin with. I knew better than to make a scene over something like this, but in my mind I was throwing a fit, mentally screaming at them to get their asses on this train and find a place to stand, sit, hover, or whatever just so the doors could seal and we could be on our way. My parents would've been able to see the look on my face and know I was ticked off, that is, if they were actually with me. We had all separated into different cargo areas since there weren't five seats that were all together. Only individual ones.

After the last of them made it securely inside, the doors closed off and the engines started. Finally, we were zooming through the underground tunnel. And soon we would be in the Mystic Ruins. Then from there I would take one more train to Station Square, catch another taxi, and then it's home sweet home.

_I feel a little bad that I left without telling Grandpa goodbye, though. Tails said something about him readying missiles? There's this guilt eating away at me, telling me I'm the one responsible for causing this whole commotion._

But I pushed those worries aside. They weren't for me to handle, so I decided not to ponder on them. Right now, all I wanted to do was go home and take a long, hot bath, then change into my softest, silkiest pajamas and crawl under my bed sheets and sleep into next year. I hadn't showered since yesterday, not even after I had walked through the rain. My hair lost its fine texture, and my skin felt a bit grimy. I could feel my eyelids heaving down over my eyes, but forced myself to stay awake.

Perhaps a little music will help.

I pulled out my mp3 player, shoving the headphones into my ears and pressed the shuffle on the keybad. A melodic little tune started, and I recognized the song right off the bat.

Even though I liked the song playing, it was too soft. I needed something that could wake me up, and this one was already lulling me to sleep. I clicked shuffle again. This time it was a rock song. The music blasted into my eardrums and scared me half to death.

Well, even though that worked...it's a little too loud. Shuffle.

_Take the flesh from me, put it on display._

Shuffle.

_I had a way then, losing it on my own._

Shuffle.

_Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars?_

How did that song get in there? Shuffle.

_Can't make my own decisions, or make any with precision._

Shuffle.

_Ooooooohhh, I can't go any further than this._

_What the hell?_ Shuffle.

_I'm bringin' sexy back._

...Shuffle!

I took a moment to listen to the next song that came on, and instantly a smile broke across my face. This particular one definitely put me in a good mood. I placed the mp3 in my pocket and relaxed.

**(Shadow'S POV)**

A train was coming into view.

The lights on it illuminated the inside of the tunnel, intensifying the closer they got. The train itself had very blunt metal edges, and in front of it was a large window. Above the window was the title **Train 41** scripted in bold letters. I could see people inside, but they didn't happen to spot me. They had their attention diverted to one another or sometimes nothing at all. I found myself frowning as I tried to focus again and conserve all the energy within me.

**(Rachel'S POV)**

My fingers tapped against my arm impatiently. Couldn't this train go any faster?

_Where should I go?_  
><em>What should I do?<em>  
><em>I don't understand what you want from me.<em>  
><em>Cause I don't know,<em>  
><em>If I can trust you.<em>  
><em>All of the things you've said to me.<em>

_And I may never know the answer to this endless mystery._

**(ShadowS POV)**

Finally, the power had hit a high point and was boiling over. I held my hand above my head.

"Chaos...!"

**(Rachel'S POV)**

_I'm spinning out of control..._  
><em>Out of control!<em>

**(SHADOW'S POV)**

"BLAST!"

**(RACHEL'S POV)**

_(CRASH)_

I jolted in my seat and flung my head around quickly in the direction where the noise had come from. It'd been loud enough to drown out my music.

_What in the world...did someone break a window or something?_

As soon as I looked, I saw shards of glass flying at every angle. One sliver came flipping straight for my face, until I pressed my head back just in time to evade it. Instead of ripping though me, it ripped straight through my headphone wire, severing it in half and cutting the music off. I yanked the buds out of my ears, throwing them away from me. The wire emitted white sparks from its end before dying down into nothing.

Ignoring my ruined headphones, I turned my attention back towards whatever had crashed the window. People ducked their heads and started screaming. Some were hollering for help, others in pain after being nicked by glass, some were swearing, and others sat there quietly in confusion, looking around in shock.

I then heard metal crunching above my head, followed by a wind that washed over us all. It was the kind of wind that happens when something fast passes you. Except it moved in a churning motion, blowing my hair all over my face.

I rose my head to gape at the ceiling, and saw a black and red blur moving in a swirling ball. It ground against the tiles and destroyed a few lights in its path, but not every single one.

Whatever the blur was, it finally began to slow its spinning until its form became more distinct. Soon, it had stopped completely and dropped to what I guessed were its feet, pointing a pistol around at the panicking passengers.

I stopped and took a good look at the person.

No...not a person...

...A hedgehog.

Even though his back was to me, I still examined his appearance from behind. Hs characteristic were very much like Sonic the Hedgehog's, except a different style. Instead of having blue fur, his was a rich ebony black. His quills arched up instead of down, and had red streaks etched through them. The same streaks were also running down his arms and legs.

I noticed that he had two golden rings around his wrists that fit securely and didn't do so much as budge even as he whisked his arm around.

Everything I noticed about him made my heart beat harder, until it was pounding my whole body like a bass.

_No, this can't be happening. _

_I fell asleep and now I'm having a dream. Yeah, that's what this is. A very strange, scary, realistic dream. A nightmare, so to speak._

No sooner did I think this, did the hedgehog spin around and aim his gun at the people on my side of the train. The moment as I saw his face, a sickening feeling filled my stomach.

_Those eyes. Those red eyes._

_It's really him. It's the hedgehog that saved me._

_No..._

_It's..._

"Nobody move!" Shadow shouted. His voice held the same ferocity from last night in the alley. He didn't seem to notice me gawking at him. In fact, he never took time to look at me directly.

Why is he here? What does he want with us?

It was very evident that he wasn't messing around. He looked like he was ready to blow the head off the first person to defy him. Of course, there is always that one person who tries to be the hero, but doesn't know who he's up against. A man on the opposite side of the train stood up, looking slightly nervous, but nowhere near as scared as everyone else.

"Hey look buddy. There's no need to hurt these people. We're all innocent here. Whatever it is you're after, we can help you get it without all the commotion. Just put the gun down and let's try to be rational."

Shadow turned around and raised his gun at the man, slitting his eyes. "You'd be wise to shut up and sit down. Or else you'll be sorry," he threatened.

The man only chuckled, much to everyone's horror.

"I've taken a bullet before, buddy. I ain't gonna get all rowled up over some fur ball with a bad attitude. So come on, let's be mature about this."

Everyone gasped in bewilderment at his uncanny bravery, except me.

I shook my head fearfully, mouthing the word _No_ over and over.

Doesn't he know who Shadow is and what he's capable of? Why does it seem like I'm the only one here who recognizes him?

Shadow growled "Suit yourself. You may know what it's like to get shot, but now you'll see what it's like to be impaled by the power of Chaos."

He raised his empty hand and swiped it through the air. "Chaos Spear!"

Yellow beams of energy shot out and struck the man, sending him off his feet and flying across the cargo. "Aaaaah!" he screamed before making a rough landing on his back.

Everyone else screamed together, mildly showing concern for the man who tried to help them, but clearly more horrified that their lives were endangered by Shadow's supernatural power.

No one went to see if the man was okay. They remained where they were, waiting in fear for the hedgehog to make another move.

Shadow turned his back to the man and faced us again.

"I'm looking for a man under the name of 'Tower'.

My jaw dropped.

No.

_A man_

_...Tower..._

It was enough to stun me that he was after someone with my last name, but if he was looking for a man, that meant he was looking for...my father!

One woman, who was shaking in her seat raised her head and looked up at Shadow. "W-We d-d-d-don't k-know anyone named T-T-Tower. W-What d-do you w-w-want with him?" she stuttered helplessly as tears dripped down her face.

Shadow eyed her, looking annoyed. "That's none of your business."

He then turned and started walking towards the opposite end of the cargo, stepping over the man from earlier who was now unconscious, and headed for the door to the one over.

My eyes widened. _No. He's going to look for my dad. And the next cargo is the one my he's in. I can't just sit here and let Shadow hurt him or do worse!_

A sudden burst of adrenaline coursed through me, and it willed me to jump up from my seat.

"Please, don't do this," I said to him, meaning to shout to get him to notice me, but my voice came out in a pathetic excuse for a whisper. It was like my fear had stripped me of my voice. If he had heard me, he didn't show it. He continued walking without flashing a single glance.

I could feel my body starting to shake. "Please..." I said again, this time a little louder. But I still had not gotten his attention, except for everyone else's. All of their eyes were on me.

Shadow had finally reached the door. He clasped his hand over the handle and began to turn it, snapping the built-in lock with his strength.

I mustered up every ounce of courage left in me and felt my voice reach me.

"STOP IT SHADOW!" I screamed.

Shadow's hand froze before he could completely turn the handle and open the door. His head slowly rotated around as he looked for who called his name. His face was still hard and frightening, but I could see a hint of curiosity had drifted into his expression. I knew he was wondering how any of us remembered his name, considering the last time anyone had seen him was sixteen years ago. I was amazed that none of these people knew who he was him, even though they were all adults while I, a teenage girl who was born the night that the moon was shattered in half by _him_, was more aware than anyone else in the room. As a matter of fact, I probably knew more than I should have.

He saw that I was the only one standing up while everyone still cowered in their seats. His eyes met mine, and that same frightful feeling from yesterday erupted inside me. For a while, we just stared at each other. He didn't move, nor did I. But then, his mouth fell ajar. He took his hand off the handle and stepped towards me slowly.

I wanted to back away, or close my eyes, or do something to escape him even if it was just in my own mind. But instead, I refused to let him intimidate me and stood firm.

When he was close enough, his eyes scanned me up and down. They traveled all over my face before looking me dead in the eye again. I frowned back at him.

_He remembers me._

Shadow raised his eyebrows in surprise. "It's you." he said softly.

For a second there, I was caught up in the moment and started to feel faint. But I didn't let it show.

_He does. He recognizes me from last night._ How he was able to see me clearly through the dark and rain and remember me now, I had no idea.

But what if he only looks at it as a mere coincidence and then goes on his way?

I wouldn't allow him to get anywhere near my father.

I had to say something that would prevent him from leaving.

"My...my surname is Tower," I said boldly.

He made a small noise out of surprise, blinking once.

So, I continued, pressing further into his memories in hopes of triggering his interest long enough to buy time.

"I'm the G.U.N. Commander's granddaughter."

Now, he looked completely blown away. Nobody around us said anything, or even made a sound. They just watched me and the hedgehog have our intense staring contest. A voice in my head started shrieking at me.

_You idiot! Why would you sell yourself out like that? There weren't any smarter options you could've turned to?_

_But I'm only acting on impulse. I had to protect Dad. Who knows what he would've done once he got to him._

_Yeah, but now he might harm you!_

_I don't care._

_Yes you do!_

_Okay I do, but not enough to let him go near any of my family!_

But then I noticed Shadow's stance was shifting. His eyes reformed into a menacing glare. But this time, instead of frowning, his mouth cracked an evil grin. Now I was nervous all over.

Before I could do or say anything, he lunged at me, grabbing me by my upper arm. Once I realized what was happening, I gasped and tried to pull free. But the more I struggled, the tighter his grip became. And it wasn't just any ordinary touch. There was something electrical that he was producing, and I could feel it grinding at my nerves.

I tried to punch and claw at him with my free arm, and even threw in some kicks. He just dodged them and chuckled darkly, tossing me down to the ground. I landed on my stomach with a thud.

And finally, the extent of the situation hit me, and I screamed bloody murder. Everyone went back into panic mode. A man jumped from his seat and tried to push Shadow away from me. But this time the hedgehog didn't hesitate to pull his gun trigger, launching a bullet straight through the man's shoulder. The deafening sound filled the cargo, and everyone screamed louder, growing more hysterical.

People in the other cargos had to have heard what was going on. Why wasn't anyone doing anything!

The injured man stumbled and fell back into his seat, clutching the soggy red spot on his shirt and biting back profanities. I watched him in horror, but was quickly interrupted when I felt Shadow grab me by the crease of my elbow and pull me back so that I was on my knees. I whipped my head around to look at him.

His glare was paired along with the most frightening smirk I'd ever seen. He raised his hand up, and I was under the impression he was getting ready to strike me. Then I noticed he was holding the same red gem from last night. The Chaos Emerald.

"Looks like you've sealed your own fate," he said in a voice that was so low, I was probably the only one who heard it over the desperate cries of the passengers.

"Chaos Control!"

A blinding white light melted through my surroundings like acid, followed by a warm, electric feeling that seeped through my skin. It took my breath away.

Again, I felt the need to close my eyes, but feared that if I did, I may never open them again.

I slowly rolled my gaze upward, and saw that even though everything else had disappeared from sight, Shadow was still there. It was just me and him now. He was looming over me, eyeing me like a sadistic killer eyes their next victim. And deep down, I felt as though that scenario was about to take place.

_What have I done._

**(Shadow's POV)**

That was what it was.

She was the Commander's granddaughter all along. Her eyes have the same green color that Tower's had in one eye, or at least from what I remember 66 years ago. That was why I felt such a familiar sense around her. What were the odds?

Well, whether she was trying to protect David Tower, who I assume wass her father, or not, she has no idea what's in store for her.

She made a foolish decision in revealing her identity.

This mission just got a whole lot more interesting.

o

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**(Me speaking)** Wow, *deep breath* my hands were like dancing across the keyboard for this chapter. I tried to make it intense and dramatic, so hopefully, that's the vibe you get when you read this. I kind of need to stop and think up some ideas for this story. Up until this chapter I had everything planned out, but now I'm playing it by ear. Unprofessional I know, but hey I didn't want to sit around with my ideas and not be able to share them :)


	10. Welcome to Hell

**Chapter Revised [x]**

* * *

><p><strong>(Travis' POV)<strong>

She was gone.

My sister...was actually gone.

She'd been kidnapped.

Dad was ready to murder the very person who took her.

Mom had fainted.

Emma was sobbing.

And I sat there quietly, not believing any of it.

Apparently, she wasn't taken by a man,

But a monster.

A black and red hedgehog to be specific.

Two people had been injured in the process.

One of them was shot, the other, hit by some sort of 'radiation.'

Everyone who was involved wanted to know who the hedgehog was,

and how he had special powers,

and why he looked like Sonic,

and what he was after.

All my family wanted to know

is if we'd ever see our Rachel again.

I'm scared now.

I'm scared for my sister.

And I'm scared to see what Grandpa does when he finds out about this.

**(Rachel's POV)**

I looked up slowly, and saw that the endless white was rapidly morphing into another setting. I tried with all my might to stand up, but felt too light-headed to even do so much as twitch a finger joint. The ground beneath me seemed to change textures. I lifted my hand off of it curiously, and saw it had changed into chrome metal. The white surroundings were now made up of walls and contraptions, constructed from various materials and controls. It looked like the inside of some sort of futuristic laboratory.

_Did we just...teleport?_

"There you are, Shadow! I've been waiting for your return! Where have you bee-...wait...what in the _world_?" I heard a gruff, and somewhat elderly voice shout from the other side of the room.

I turned my head to see an extremely overweight, middle-aged man with a big faded orange mustache. He was adorned in a red jumpsuit, black boots, and his eyes were shielded by thick lenses.

_What the...? Who is this guy? And why do I feel like I've seen him somewhere before?_

Even though I couldn't see his eyes, I felt them bare holes straight through me.

"Who the heck are you?" he asked less than enthusiastically.

Instead of answering him, I remembered that Shadow was still right behind me and scrambled to my feet. I flung around in his direction and found him frowning back. His eyes held all kinds of emotions. Hatred. Disgust. Annoyance. Even wonder.

I took many steps backwards to get away from him, my stomach turning inside out. As the space between us grew, my mind started to settle, and the hysteria subsided. The old man from before shifted his gaze from me, then to the hedgehog himself.

"Shadow, what is this. What is going on. This is…disgusting. Unprofessional. It's _inappropriate_!"

Shadow lifted a brow at him. "What are you talking about?"

The man threw his hands up in a 'What the hell, isn't it obvious?' fashion. "I'm talking about you! I'm sorry but bringing a random human girl back for personal means isn't permitted under my roof. It's indecent! And...it creeps me out. I thought you loathed humans. What happened to that?" he said, shaking his head.

I blushed angrily. _Personal means?_ Just visualizing the acts of those words in my own head made an acidic bile build in my throat. They were all lucky I didn't upchuck right then and there.

Shadow scowled while crossing his arms. "No. You've misunderstood my intentions, Doctor," he growled. "I brought her as our hostage for this mission."

I stopped and took a moment to process what he just said. That man is a doctor? Like a medical doctor?

And _hostage_?

Great. That's just splendid. So basically, I'm the stupid damsel in distress! Who knows what kind of awful things these two will put me through! And what mission is he talking about? What does it have to do with my father, since that's who he was after to begin with?

The 'Doctor' then took another good look at me. "You mean you've captured _her _instead of David Tower? But wasn't the plan supposed to be that you take him because of the whole blood relation thing? When exactly did you decide you were going to jeopardize this entire mission and take matters into your own hands?"

Shadow stood there still as stone. "This isn't just some girl that I picked at random to take. She's the granddaughter of Commander Abraham Tower."

The Doctor just paused for a second, and then bounced his balding eyebrows as a large grin spread across his face. "Granddaughter of _the_ Abraham Tower? Oh really! My oh my! How terribly convenient! I should ask how you found her, but at this point it doesn't even matter. This changes absolutely everything! A young defenseless girl is much more vulnerable than a grown man, therefore Tower will be more willing to hand over the Chaos Emerald when he sees that we have _her_. Brilliant, Shadow! Utterly brilliant!"

My eyes widened and I took another step back. That's what all this was for? A damn Chaos Emerald? What was the deal with those things? Everyone seemed to be so obsessed with having them.

"Allow me to introduce myself," the Doctor said to me. "My name is Doctor Ivo Robotnik. You may already know me as 'Eggman', since that's the name the whole planet Earth decided to dub me as thanks to a certain blue menace..." he mumbled angrily. "But I prefer to be called Dr. Robotnik."

I frowned at him. _How 'bout I call you fat ass? Seems to suit you much better!_

But then, something clicked.

_Eggman. I think I remember that name!_

Eggman was the mad scientist that tried to dominate the world! He was the one who shattered the moon with that laser cannon, the one who was always out to eradicate Sonic the Hedgehog, the one who tried to rise his own empire and rule over us!

My face inverted into a look of shock.

His grin only grew wider. "Ah, so I see you've heard of me after all," he said. "I guess that means you know better than to resist me and my orders, since I am an evil genius, and I'm capable of killing you right now if I desired. But lucky for you, I don't want to do that. In fact we need you in order to acquire the Chaos Emerald. So you just pipe down, be a good little hostage and only speak when spoken to. Your purpose here is to lure the G.U.N. Commander into handing over the Chaos Emerald he's been guarding, since he's the only one who knows its exact whereabouts, and nothing else. After we have it, you can go free! Just like that!"

_...Free...?_

That sounded bloody wonderful.

"I-I...I..." I started to say, but stopped when I saw Shadow still glaring at me in his murderous manner. My chest tightened.

"Actually, I have a better idea," Shadow said. "Why doesn't she just stay with us? You and I can both work together to collect the other six Chaos Emeralds across the universe, and she can accompany us along the way. That way when we've finished, we can bring her back to Earth. When the Commander sees her after it's been months or even years, there's no way he can refuse giving us the Chaos Emerald in exchange for her freedom. And by then we will have all seven Chaos Emeralds. It would be too late for them to resist us, since we will have limitless invincible power."

Dr. Robotnik looked down and stroked his chin in thought. "Hmmmmmmmmmmm. This might sound crazy, but you might be on to something."

A sharp chill ran down my spine. I took a step back, shaking my head in disbelief. _Months? Years? Stuck here with a mad scientist and an evil hedgehog? Uhm, no thank you! I'll pass!_

"But you can't do this to me! This isn't right!"

Shadow flashed an evil smirk at me. "As if we care what contributes to being _right_. And if you're so against this arrangement, maybe you should've thought about that before revealing your identity."

So many different emotions and thoughts were churning through my head. I thought I was about to bust.

"Please, I'll do anything you ask! I swear I will! Whatever it takes, just please let me go and don't take me away!"

"It's too late," he said, ignoring my desperation. "You're already going to do everything we ask of you unconditionally. You're our captive. And if you disobey, don't think there won't consequences."

I squeezed my eyes shut, gritting my teeth. "Please don't do this! I just want to go home and nothing more!"

Dr. Robotnik sighed irritably and walked past me, taking a seat in a chair that faced numerous controls and screens. "Begging will get you nowhere, dear. Until we have all seven Emeralds, this IS your temporary home. Or prison, more-so. Hahaha."

I watched as his fingers maneuvered through the control pad in front of him. He pressed multiple buttons and twisted a few knobs. The loud sound of the engine revving filled the room, which extended my surprise.

_What the hell? We've been inside an...aircraft? This whole time?_

For a moment, I felt weightless, and realized that the vehicle we were in was starting to lift. My hands balled into shaking fists. I felt a prickling sting accumulate at the corners of my eyes. It was tears again.

They're serious about this. They're kidnapping me, and apparently it's going to be a long time before I come back.

So many years of my life were about to be wasted away.

My heart thudded inside my chest. The fear, frustration, and rage all morphed together and created a numbing sensation that filled me from head to heel. I wasn't about to just stand here and let these two boss me around. Especially when those two happened to be a psychotic mastermind who was obsessed with taking over the world, and the other was an evil artificial life in the form of a black and red hedgehog.

I finally hit a breaking point, and found myself with my arms wound around Dr. Eggman's neck, choking him from behind.

"You bastard! Let me out of here now, dammit!" I shouted with tears streaming down my face. Dr. Eggman gagged and twitched his mouth desperately, looking like he was trying to speak as I tightened my grip. His neck was short and hidden in the folds of his fat, making it harder for me to strangle. I clenched my teeth and pulled his head back in my grasp. His chair started tilting backwards. It had only been a few seconds after I'd attacked him, when suddenly a strong force grabbed me and ripped my arms off of him, throwing me to the side.

I toppled to the ground and landed on my left leg at an angle that nearly split the bone in half. The pain wrapped itself around me, leading me to bite the inner edge of my lip as more tears traveled down my chin and neck. I quietly cried in broken sobs, and tried re-aligning my leg until it was in a normal position.

As I turned over, I was met with the hateful eyes of Shadow. His gaze was heavily fixed on me, and his mouth was turned down in an irritated scowl. His whole expression had its own aura of hostility. I whimpered and looked away, continuing to cry until it was difficult to even breathe properly.

Dr. Eggman took in loud gasps of air before spinning around in his chair to face me. His chest heaved up and down, while he pointed a gloved finger at my shaking form.

"Shadow!." Gasp. "Find her a room!" Gasp. "And make sure!" Gasp. "That you lock it!" Gasp.

Before I could react, I felt my body leave the floor. Shadow aggressively swept me up and threw me over his shoulder, keeping an arm wrapped tightly around my the backs of my thighs so I couldn't fall. He began pacing off in some unknown direction. Reality seeped back to me, and I started screaming and crying all over again while pounding Shadow's back in protest. His spines poked me, but not enough to hurt, and not enough to get me to stop.

"Put me down you monster!" I screamed, watching Dr. Eggman's choking figure grow smaller and smaller until it was gone as we descended down an endless hallway. Even though I was putting up a pretty good struggle, Shadow's grip never faltered. He was too strong for me to get away like this and I knew it.

After a few minutes passed, my energy was shot. My furious pounding on Shadow's back had died down to hopeless pats. Instead of screaming, I fell dead silent, minus the unintentional gasps from crying. But other than that, my throat was too sore to make even the smallest sound. I dropped my fists and felt my body go limp. Shadow seemed to notice, because after I stopped struggling, he finally spoke to me for the first time since he'd started walking.

"We're almost there, so you can calm down," he said in a cold, uncaring voice.

My eyes became slits. _I'm obviously calm now, stupid._

The next few minutes were nothing but awkward silence. Except for me, breathing heavily through my tears. Shadow stopped walking and reached forward with the arm he wasn't using to support me. I heard the sound of buttons being pressed, along with a high pitched beep, and then a lock clicked.

There was the sound of a swift _whoosh_, indicating that a door had slid open. He took a few steps forward, then dropped me harshly to the floor of the new room. I guess he expected me to land on my feet, because when I turned to look back at him, he rolled his eyes and started to walk out.

"You spend too much time on the floor," he said with his back to me. Then he moved his head ever so slightly to the side so that he could see me through the corner of his eye.

"Don't think you're going to get away with that stunt you pulled back there. Any time that you go against either of us in any way, there will be punishment. In fact, I just got done saying this earlier. Since it was the Doctor you attacked this time, I'll leave it up to him to decide what must be done with you. But, keep in mind, if you dare try anything like that on me, I'll make you wish you had never been born."

The door closed behind him, and the lock fastened shut. I was left alone.

I looked around tiredly. The room I lay in was around the size of a normal bedroom, except it had a very high ceiling and bright, fluorescent lighting that filled every corner and crevice. Everything was painted stark white. The only thing that wasn't white was the black pillows and gray sheets on the bed, which was pressed up against the wall. Next to it was a small bedside, and across from it, a dresser. Even though it was a little fancy to be considered a prison cell, I still felt like I was in jail. Eggman even said himself that this was prison. But it felt more like Hell.

Yes, it was Hell, and Shadow was the devil.

_I don't want to spend months or years here. I hate Dr. Eggman. I HATE Shadow._

_I just want to go home._

I fell onto my side and curled up in a ball, covering my mouth with cupped hands to muffle my wails as I bawled against the cold, metallic floor. I wondered if seeing home again was even a possibility. It hurt to think that such a simple luxury that I lived with since the day of my birth, had suddenly grown far out of my reach.

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(Me speaking)

K so this chapter was kinda rushed, but I still attempted to make it enjoyable! I had to like channel surf through all my ideas on what's going to happen in this story, and now I've finally decided on a nearly complete summary. I've got ideas here and there, but I'm not done tying them all together.

Btw, right before I finished this chapter, I finally beat Sonic Adventure 2 Battle (which is the first game where Shadow is introduced. LYKE OHEMGEEE FANGIRL SQUEALLL *-* Okay, not really. But it was a good game, & I actually teared up at the ending because its like the only game I have with Shadow (besides sonic heroes and winter Olympics) and he pretty much dies in it. Plus it's sad. But, now that I completed the game, my main focus will be making chao again. Because that's just how I roll.

I know u don't wanna hear me blab. So review please! I'll update after I reach 30 reviews. That's what...like 2 reviews more? Lol but it will serve as a motivating milestone. So thank you and keep reading my story if you're still interested :)


	11. The Devil's Knocking

**Chapter Revised [x]**

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><p><strong>(Shadow's POV)<strong>

Never in my life had I ever witnessed someone attack the Doctor like that. That was the last thing I expected to happen. We had been here no more than twenty minutes, and already that girl was creating complications. Even though she was small and powerless, her desperate teenage anguish alone might've made Dr. Eggman pass out from lack of oxygen, had I not stepped in and knocked her down. She actually tried to strangle the man.

I knew she was scared, but it's not like that mattered. What her thoughts and feelings happened to be were the least of our concerns.

I re-entered Dr. Eggman's office to see how he was doing after all that by trudging in and taking a good look at him. He seemed absolutely fine despite what went on a few minutes ago, except his agitation was ten times more evident.

He heard my footsteps on the metal floor and spun his chair around slowly, face scrunched and teeth bared. I'd only seen that him look that way when he was dealing with someone completely intolerant. His tapped his fingers together and he pouted.

"Way to go, Shadow," he spat angrily.

I put one hand on my hip and frowned back at him. "How is any of this my fault?" I asked, already knowing where this was leading.

He lifted his hands and made choking motions around his neck. "You saw what just happened! She could've killed me, Shadow! You've kidnapped Satan's spawn! We were supposed to capture a much more civil man. One who doesn't have that kind of energy or violent tendencies. If you had stuck to the original plan from the beginning, this would have never taken place!"

Now I was getting mad as well. "Oh I beg your pardon, but weren't you the one who said that this was a great, no,_ brilliant_ idea and that it would work out perfectly?"

"Well that was before I had my throat rang by a fussy little brat of a teenager!"

"Just keep in mind that she is the G.U.N. Commander's grand-daughter."

"And she's going to be a major handful too if we don't break her soon!"

There was a long silence since after that. I didn't know what else to say. I looked down at the floor, sifting through my thoughts. He did have a point. Maybe this wasn't the best plan after all. Dr. Eggman interrupted my thinking with a question I knew I would've been asked sooner or later.

"Shadow. Exactly how did you find her?" he asked me in a much calmer tone.

I directed my gaze back to him. "Well, I went to capture Tower off the train before it reached Mystic Ruins, and right before I could locate him, she just so happened to be in the same cargo as me and tried to prevent me from leaving, probably to protect her father. And might I mention she's also the very same girl that I rescued from those predators in the alley yesterday."

Dr. Eggman's eyes widened. "WHAT? You're kidding me! Oh ho ho, that's impecable! Seems as though fate has a sense of humor!"

"Yeah. You're telling me," I mumbled.

He only grinned in response. "I heard you say earlier that she revealed her identity to you, so I'm guessing that you decided to bring her here after you found out who she was. Well, let me hear it. What's her full name?"

I paused and turned my head away. _Her name... I never bothered to think about that_. _Obviously her last name is Tower. But her first name...?_

"I don't know it," I admitted. "She didn't tell me and I didn't ask."

Dr. Eggman tilted his head to the side. "Hm? Seems to me that needs to changed immediately. We can't just keep calling her girl or captive. What room did you put her in?"

"B-12."

"Well what are you waiting for? Go back there and find out her first name!"

My eyes widened. "What? Why me? I just dragged her all the way there, and now you're telling me to go back? You can ask yourself."

Dr. Eggman slumped back in his seat, making a 'tsk tsk tsk' sound. "Shadow, Shadow, Shadow. You're the only hedgehog that I've ever been able to tolerate, you know. But that can change rather quickly."

I stared at him in boredom. "Is that supposed to be a threat?" I challenged flatly.

His face turned red with fury. "Listen here, I'm not taking the risk of her attacking me again! Don't you get it! I'm too old to deal with a teenager who's that out of control. As of now, you're the only one here who can handle her! Just go ask for her name, report back to me and be done with it! If she doesn't answer, you know what to do. I'll let you take care of the situation from there."

I sighed and started taking steps towards the hall. "Ah so what do you want me to do, beat an answer out of her?" I asked sarcastically.

He grumbled and turned back towards the controls. "I honestly don't care! Use your imagination if you have one. Now if you excuse me, I got an Egg Carrier to steer," he said while taking hold of the controls again.

I growled to myself and began walking off. "Damn," I hissed under my breath. Fraternizing with this girl was definitely not on my to-do list.

**(Rachel'S POV)**

I was getting aches from the all the crying I'd done combined with the lack of rest. I had not had any proper sleep for nearly two days now, and it sure was taking a toll on me. It felt like the physical form of death.

_Maybe if I get a little shut-eye, I can refresh myself and be more alert. I'm already stuck here. No sense in forcing myself to stay awake the whole time, right?_

I reluctantly stood from my spot on the floor and walked like a zombie over to the bed. Even though I didn't want to be here in Dr. Eggman's flying, floating, whatever it was we were in, the fluffy pillows and soft sheets on the bed were practically calling my name.

_Rachel…Rachel…lay on us Rachel. Soak up our fluffiness like it's all made of clouds. You know you want to…_

I wiped the last of my tears away and plopped myself down on the bed's gray sheets. The mattress felt like a heavenly tuff of cotton under me.

_Just sleep, Rachel. Sleep and get it over with already._

My eyelids began to glue shut.

_That's right, just close your eyes, get your well-deserved rest..._

I began to feel light and nearly fell asleep right there, while still sitting up. I couldn't remember the last time I was this tired.

_Almost there..._

"Hey, _girl!" _I heard Shadow's voice yell from the other side of the door, followed by a few knocks.

_Never mind, the devil's knocking._

My eyebrows furrowed as I opened my eyes, squinting them into a glare. _You've got to be kidding me._

I wasn't sure what made me angrier. The fact that it seemed impossible for me to get any sleep, or the fact that Shadow had the nerve to come back here and bother me, after giving me the worst day of my life.

Before I could invite him in, or tell him to get lost for that matter, the door slid open. The black and red hedgehog stood there with his permanent frown, staring me down like I was some sort of virus.

"Alright, so we need to know your name," he said plainly, sounding like he didn't want to be there just as much I wanted him gone.

I lifted an eyebrow. "Uhh…Why?"

He closed his eyes, sighing in irritation before walking into the room. The door slid shut behind him. After I realized that it was just us two alone, my anxiety returned and I felt my pulse quicken.

"It doesn't matter why," he continued. "Just tell me and I'll be more than happy to leave."

I let out a fake laugh. "As much as I want you to leave, I think you asking me for my name is unnecessary."

His eyes grew harder and he took more steps closer to me. I tried to scoot back from him, but decided to remain where I was in order to stand my ground.

"I'm not asking you. I'm _telling_ you to give me your name. It's an order. Remember what I said about those?"

I tried to hide the fear in my expression, but I could tell he already noticed it by the way he played it out as if he was superior over me. He knew I was too weak to do anything for myself, besides make a sissy attempt to strangle an evil conqueror. I clenched my teeth tightly before parting them to speak.

"All I'm asking is for one reason why! Just one."

"Because I told you to. That's the reason," he stated as if it were obvious.

I shook my head. "That's not good enough."

Now, it was very obvious he'd had enough. He was done with me, and I was sure that if I angered him further, he'd lose control and kill me.

"If you value your life, you will tell me it. Now."

I half-lidded my eyes. "_Tower_."

"Hmph, don't be a smartass. Your FIRST name."

"I don't want to!"

"Do it right now!"

"No!"

"Are you refusing to answer me?"

"Yes! I sure am!"

Shadow grunted with fury. "Fine! Don't say I didn't warn you!" He raised his hand above his head. " Chaos...!"

My confidence fell apart like brittle dirt. I gasped and turned away, bracing myself for his attack.

I'd seen what he had done to the man who stood up to him on the subway. I was already younger and weaker than that guy, but combine that with how disgustingly fragile I was now, and I knew this could very well leave irreversible damage on me. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to seal my lips and keep from screaming when it happened. But instead, my desperation took over and I ended up shouting my own name.

"_Rachel_!" I yelled, letting my arms fall to the mattress as I buried my face into them out of shame, beginning to cry all over again. I felt so endangered inside. Even though he hadn't done anything to actually hurt me yet, my regular ferocity and will-power had been wiped out.

"It's...R-Rachel..." I choked through my tears.

I waited for Shadow to say or do something. I waited for him to leave after he got the answer he wanted and go away at last. But I could feel his presence still looming over me. I could even feel him watching me.

_Just let me be! _I wanted to shout._ Get out! Go! Leave me alone! Leave...me..._

I'd only closed my eyes for fifteen seconds, and already I was drifting into a deep sleep.

And just like I had many times before when I was younger, I fell asleep hating Shadow the Hedgehog with every fiber of my being.

**(Shadow's POV)**

This girl was really beginning to get under my skin.

I swear, if she were anyone else she would've been dead by now with the attitude she's put on! But then I have to stop and ask myself, why do I let it slide with her? There's nothing special about her. I hardly even know the kind of person she is, other than a whiny, melodramatic waste of space.

Maybe that's just it. Maybe it's because I'm aware of how helpless she is. Even though I was ready to unleash a Chaos Spear on her, something told me that even if she still defied me, I wouldn't have been able to bring myself to hurt her after all had been said and done. Who knows though, if she kept pushing me, that might very well change.

But now I knew her name.

_Rachel? That's it? Rachel Tower. That's the big unveiling._

I figured it wouldn't be something that simple. But then again, I didn't really know what to expect. Not bad I guess.

After she had told, or shrieked at me that her name was Rachel, she hid her face and began bawling again. I couldn't see it, but I could definitely hear it. Her sobs were loud and short, and then they were nothing. I stopped and looked closer. Her back was rising and falling gently, and she was breathing deeply. I couldn't help but sigh to myself.

The human fell asleep.

I knew it was completely out of my nature to feel remorse for anyone, but a part of me wanted to…console her for whatever reason. She'd been put through so much in the past few days, and I knew it too. She was still innocent beyond belief, and I alone was corrupting that for my and the Doctor's own selfish reasons.

I slowly lowered my raised hand, and extended it towards her. I almost gave her back a small pat. There was something in me that wanted to show her some sort of reassurance her that I wouldn't hurt her as long as she followed our orders. I wanted to make her feel a bit of security.

_I_ was the one who saved her yesterday. _I_ was the one who did that not to benefit myself or anyone, but simply because I felt sorry for her. And I felt that way now. And it was stupid.

_Stop, Shadow. Don't forget your motives. She's asleep now anyway, and what would comforting her when she's not even conscious do?_

I drew my arm back.

Something on her neck glimmered and caught my eye. It was a silver chain of some sort, probably a necklace she wore. I shrugged the thought away and left the room, locking the door behind me.

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(A/N)

I know these chapters are getting shorter, but believe me they will start to get longer again soon. What do you guys think? I don't know how frequently I'll be able to update now since school starts in exactly six days. Yeah, if you guys haven't guessed by my vocabulary, I'm still a kid. Im 16, and gonna be a junior. R.I.P. Summer ... you went wayyy too fast. But oh well, I'm not giving up until I finish this story! Review please :)


	12. Deja Vu

**Chapter Revised [x]**

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><p><strong>(Rachel's POV)<strong>

"Hey, it's time to wake up sleepy-head..." A soft voice cooed at me.

I stirred against the bed sheets, mumbling some unintelligent warble while bouncing back and forth between being asleep and awake. I could've sworn I heard someone talking to me, but it seemed to distant and surreal to be really happening.

"Wake up. Wake up..."

"...Mmm?" I hummed at the mysterious voice, my eyes still closed, but beginning to move about.

_Am I still dreaming?_

_This voice sounds so faint and gentle. Maybe it's an angel that's come down to visit me. Yeah, that has to be it. It's my guardian angel, trying to reach me and assure me that everything will turn out alright in the end, despite how bad the situation has become..._

"HELLO! I SAID WAKE UP DARNIT!" the same voice yelled, but in a much higher and obnoxious octave. The sound startled me and caused me to jump, striking me out of my lucid state and into reality.

"Wah!" I yelped, looking up at the source of the noise. I narrowed my eyes at what was in front of me.

"Huh? What the heck are you supposed to be?" I asked it.

The creature who had awakened me, and the one who possessed the annoying voice, was a small, mutant looking animal that hovered in mid-air, but remained around the same level as my head. He was clad in a dark navy blue color and his head had strange horn shapes jutting out on both sides. His eyes were a piercing yellow. He almost looked...devilish. Except instead of having a fearsome, threatening face, he actually appeared very childish, and even had the face of a baby. He pouted after being insulted by my remark.

"Excuse me? My name is Bokkun, you little twerp!"

My brow creased. _He was calling me a little twerp?_

"I'm Dr. Eggman's messenger, F.Y.I. But when there aren't any messages to deliver, which stinks because they are an _explosion_ of fun, I'm given other jobs. Like now, I'm supposed to bring you your meals! I came here to give food to you and you're lucky I didn't spit in it or anything!"

I instantly perked up at the word 'food'. I had missed dinner the night I got attacked in that alley, skipped breakfast the next morning, and hadn't eaten anything since.

"Oh. Alright then. So what kind of food am I getting?" I asked suspiciously, hoping that Dr. Eggman wasn't cruel enough to feed me something spoiled or just plain repulsive.

Bokkun's scowl inverted into a friendly smile. It was almost _too_ friendly. "It's right there!" he said, pointing at the bedside table. On top of it was a tray with a large unlabeled bottle of water, and strange white bars stacked on top of each other. I lifted an eyebrow and took a closer look.

"Bon Apetite!" he shouted.

I wrinkled my nose at the strange looking food, if that's even what you could call it. "You're feeding me bars of soap?" I asked with an almost joking tone. But seriously, that's what it looked like.

Bokkun threw his head back and howled with laughter. I cringed at how high pitched his voice was.

"Bars of soap! Hah, oh you wish!" he cackled. "Those things are nutrient bars. They contain all the essential vitamins and nutrients you need in a daily human diet, or enough to keep you alive at least. They're tasteless as far as I know, so you should have no problem downing them!"

I sighed with some closure and sat up straight, reaching my hand over and picking up one of the bars. Its texture was smooth, again, like a bar of soap, but it didn't have any scent to it. I frowned at my reluctance.

_Come on, Rachel. It may not be something from a five star gourmet resteraunt, but it doesn't even have a taste! You need these to survive. So don't be a wuss and eat it._

I finally gained the courage to nibble a small bit of the corner off. The moment it touched my tongue, a twisted, unbearable sensation of bitterness shot through my entire mouth. The taste nearly sent me sputtering onto the floor. I gagged a few times before forcing myself to swallow the piece.

"Ack! You liar, this DOES have a taste to it! And it tastes awful!"

Bokkun burst into another fit of hysterical laughter, clutching his tummy as he bounced up and down in the air. "Yeah, I know. Sucks to be you, don't it, because that's all you're getting!" he sang before soaring to the door.

Instead of leaving, he turned back towards me and grinned. "I'll just be waiting over here for you to finish your tasty little entree. After that, we gots to go. Dr. Eggman wants you in the control room immediately, and I'm more than positive you would run away or get lost if you tried going there by yourself, and he thinks so too. So I'll be your escort! That means HURRY YOUR BUTT UP! I ain't gettin' any younger!"

He then resumed hovering in the doorway impatiently. I rolled my eyes, not particularly enjoying being rushed to eat this disgusting excuse for food. They were trying to poison me. I just knew it. Or maybe they were getting back at me for freaking out on Eggman. Needless to say, something told me I was going to grow tired of that Bokkun guy pretty fast. And I would probably be seeing him more than anyone else.

I quickly shoved as many nutrient bars down my throat as I could before I was too nausious to swallow another, much to Bokkun's sick delight. I then jumped to my feet and slowly walked out of the room and allowed him to guide me through the long hallways.

"Gah..." I moaned in disgust, trying to scrape my tongue against the edge of my teeth to wipe the taste off. Those things may have been the most vile things meant to be consumed ever, but at least I wasn't starving anymore.

"So where exactly are we going?" I asked him out of curiosity. "I mean, this thing we're in is flying right? Where is it supposed to be headed?"

Bokkun lost his childish grin and began acting with more intellect. He held his finger up pretentiously. "This aircraft is called the Egg Carrier. It's actually very old, but the Doctor made some modifications recently. Now it runs better than ever! And to tell the truth, I don't know where we're going myself. All I know is we're not on Earth anymore, though. In fact, we're far away from its orbit. We're on the hunt for the rest of the Chaos Emeralds, see, meaning we definitely won't be staying in this galaxy to find them."

A gasp escaped by mouth.

We've left Earth...we're in space...and will soon leaving the galaxy.

It all hit me full force. Any normal person would've been devastated by this news. But I, not being a particularly normal person, found myself biting my lip in excitement.

I didn't think it was possible, but I actually smiled to myself.

_Finally. After spending my sixteen years of life reading books and articles about outer space, I actually get to travel through it and see the wonders with my own eyes! An adventure throughout the universe...that sounds rather fantastic! Maybe this won't be so bad after all._

But then I was hit with the realization of who my exploring buddies were. Dr. Eggman and Shadow the Hedgehog. My happiness instantly flew south.

It was nice while it lasted.

We arrived in the control room all too soon. Dr. Eggman had himself plopped down in the same chair he'd been sitting in throughout this entire ordeal, and was turned in my direction expectantly. He was grinning from ear to ear, which intimidated me a little. _What's he so jolly about?_

I made sharp glances in every direction in search of a certain black hedgehog before looking back at him.

Cool, no sign of Shadow. At least he isn't here too. Now I can maintain just being calm and-

"I apologize for the wait, Doctor," an eerie, all too familiar voice said from behind me after appearing out of nowhere. I didn't bother turning around to see the voice's owner myself. I already knew, to my dismay, that it was Shadow. And seeing his face would make everything worse.

Bokkun turned and flew off, leaving my side without another word.

"Good! Well now that we're all gathered here together," Dr. Eggman started, "I say it's time that we come up with a suitable punishment for _you_," he said, eyeing me.

I cocked an eyebrow. "Huh, I barely just got here and I'm already being punished."

The Doctor looked taken back. "Well of course! For choking me of course! I know you're new here, but it's plain logic that nobody gets away with trying to kill me! Not even a kid like you."

I groaned sadly. Shadow did mention something about punishment for my actions. Dr. Eggman would come up with what would be done. My stomach knotted. "Come on, can't you cut me a break this one time?" I asked. "I mean, I may have done something crazy. But you're still in good...health."

_Despite how morbidly obese you are._

"You don't have any cuts or bruises or anything. Nothing to scar, nothing to grudge about. Can't we just move on?"

Even as I said these words, I knew I was pressing my luck.

He shook his head. "Oh I'm so utterly sorry that it doesn't work in the way you want it to. But this is _my_ Carrier. And you will be punished. If you try to argue, resist, or make things harder for us in any way, Shadow here will put you in your place so fast it'll make your head spin. Whaddya say? Want to do this the easy way, or the hard way?"

I frowned back at him stubbornly. This was the last thing I needed. I wasn't all that scared of Dr. Eggman, but the idea of him punishing me through physical pain or labor didn't exactly drive me wild. I knew refusing him would only end badly. There wasn't enough energy left in me to argue or fight. I decided to play along and sighed in defeat.

"Fine. What kind of punishment did you have in mind?"

Dr. Eggman pushed his glasses back over the bridge of his nose with one finger. "I'll get to that in a minute. First of all, it's nice to meet you Rachel," he said with a sly grin.

A shiver ran down my spine. Never in my whole life did I think I would be so unhappy to hear my own name. And Shadow standing behind me wasn't helping. I didn't trust either of them over a cliff.

Dr. Eggman continued. "So we have your name down. But, there are still concerns on the other basics. Such as, how old are you and when is your birthday?"

I dipped my head downwards, but kept my gaze locked with his. What's this? He's gonna play twenty questions before deciding my fate. "I'm sixteen. I was born July 1st, 2001." I answered.

His mouth fell open. "Say what? But if I'm not mistaken, July 1st, 2001 is the same date that Shadow and I demonstrated the Eclipse Cannon for Earth and blasted-"

"The moon in half, I know," I finished for him. "In fact, I was born the same moment said blasting took place. Or so I was told."

Dr. Eggman's mouth fell open. "Very interesting. You're just full of surprises today, aren't you!" he exclaimed.

I rolled my eyes. "I guess. Is that all you need to know?"

Dr. Eggman massaged his chin. "Nope. Just one more question. What kind of skills do you possess?"

I knew that question was code for 'Can you fight or defend yourself by any means?' I pondered for a moment before breathing in sadly.

"No. I don't have any. The only unique thing I could ever do was play piano, and that was when I was younger...if you even consider that a skill. But to answer the more specific thing you're wondering, I don't have any fighting experience whatsoever."

The Doctor looked like he was holding back a laugh. "That's pretty embarassing. But then again, I could tell you were defenseless the moment you showed up here. Now enough of that. It's time we move on to the subject of your punishment!"

_Being in a room with you is punishment in its own way, fatty._ I wanted to say.

Dr. Eggman leaned his head over slightly to look at Shadow. "And pay attention Shadow, because this concerns you too."

I grimaced. Great. Of course it does.

"After doing a little tracking, I managed to uncover the location of our next Chaos Emerald. It's in a galaxy known as the Tadpole Galaxy. I'm guessing the name comes from it's distinct shape, because it appears to have a tail, or a string of planets set out in the middle of space's oblivion. We're going to enter the galaxy, move along the cosmic strip, and land on a planet named Tragaria, where the Emerald is now residing. There is life on this planet, too. The person of highest power there happens to be an ambassador, and he more than likely will be the one in possesion of the Emerald. We can try to make a deal with him, and then maybe we won't have to take it by force. But if he defies us, then we're left with no other choice."

I had no idea what he meant by that, but it sounded drastic.

He then turned his attention back to me. "Now, you were originally going to stay put in the Egg Carrier during this mission since we didn't need you for it. But as your punishment, you are to go along, and stay by Shadow's side at all times."

"_WHAT!"_ we yelled.

He cracked a satisfied grin. "You both heard me."

Something came into my view from the side. I saw that it was Shadow. He had taken a few steps in front of me before stopping. He looked up angrily at Dr. Eggman.

"Doctor, with all due respect, there must be something else that you had in mind for her punishment. Beating, maintenance service, the electric chair, anything. But bringing her with us? That will only slow us down."

I nodded quickly in agreement. "Y-Yeah! And honestly, I will take any kind of torture over this! Even...even the electric chair!"

Dr. Eggman smiled at me. "I see. Well here's the thing, my dear. Punishments are not meant to be enjoyable, and they are not done on your consent. So you're just gonna have to learn to deal with it. You're lucky I'm not resorting to even more cruel measures! This will teach you the lesson you deserve, don't you agree Shadow?"

Shadow sighed. "No. Not really. But whatever."

The hedgehog then turned around to look me dead in the eye. "And _you _keep in mind that you've already gotten on my bad side, which is a side no one wants to be on. If you so much as try to pull anything else, I won't hold back because you're a child. I swear I'll-"

His voice instantly dropped, along with his eyes as they traveled down to my neck and fixated on my chest area. They widened and then frowned in disbelief.

I gaped at him. "What's the matter with you...?" I asked him.

He didn't respond, and instead walked closer to me, not taking his eyes off my neck.

I made some squirmish noise out of discomfort. He was getting way too close. Dr. Eggman grabbed the armrests of his seat and leaned farther out. He too noticed Shadow's odd behavior. "Hm?" he hummed out loud.

I was about to say something else, but instead Shadow was the next one to speak.

"Where did you get that?" he asked me, but his tone didn't sound questioning. It sounded demanding.

"What are you-?" I lifted my hand and brushed my fingers carefully across my chest and the grooves of my collarbone, trying to figure out what he was going on about. But then, my heart dropped.

Maria's necklace.

I could feel the little blue trinket underneath my touch. Dear God, I completely forgot I was wearing it!

I quickly clapsed my hand around it. This seemed to snap Shadow back to reality. His eyes sharply met mine as he scowled.

"Hand it over now," he growled.

I raised my eyebrows at him. Is he serious? There was no way in hell that I was giving him something my great-grandmother made from scratch! It was the necklace that my grandpa intended on giving Maria, but never got the chance to because she died.

How was Shadow able to recognize it?

If he'd spent all his time with Maria, but she never even got the necklace, how could he have ever seen it before?

Shadow's expression was wishing, if not screaming death on me. I'd been giving him a hard time since we got here, and I could tell nothing in the world would make him happier than to just end me. But that didn't matter now.

My mind went completely blank. Every image flashing through my head turned into a white blur. There was only one word left illuminating in the back of my head. And somehow, it managed to reach my legs.

_Run._

Without hesitance, I turned and sped off down the long, empty hallways.

I was aware of how useless it was to try and outrun Shadow. He was bound to be faster than me. But oddly enough, this willed me to go faster. I didn't hear his footsteps treading after me, and that gave me a spark of hope. All I needed to do was find a place to hide.

I could do this. I may not be able to hide from him forever, but I can hide in time to put the necklace somewhere concealed. Somewhere safe from him.

Before I got far, I felt a strange sensation bloom nearby, and a blinding light appeared in front of me. I skidded to a stop and watched in horror as the light dissapeared and Shadow fell out of thin air, landing in a crouching position before rising straight.

"Are you an idiot? You can't run away from me," he said, stepping towards me.

I walked backwards in fear. "Y-You're not getting the necklace, so stay back!" I yelled.

But alas, the hedgehog payed no attention to me. Instead, he did the unexpected. He jumped up in the air and lunged at me, grabbing me by my shoulders and ramming me against the wall.

My head banged against the wall's metal surface and made my vision cascade into colorful ripples. I slid down slightly and fell onto the floor, with my legs sprawled out to the side of me. Shadow pressed his hands against the wall on both sides of my head, trapping me there. I winced from the close contact and turned away, whimpering under my breath.

"You better look at me," Shadow ordered.

But I didn't listen. I kept my head facing the other direction, and squeezed my eyes shut.

"No," I responded fiercely.

There was a tense moment of silence, before I broke it with my own voice.

"This necklace isn't your's...it doesn't belong to you and never will."

"It doesn't belong to you either!" he snarled.

My head was beginning to ache. "I beg to differ. It's MY relatives who made it!"

"It's _my_ friend that it was made for."

"It's _your_ fault she never got it!"

"No, it's your grandfather's fault for being a coward!"

I whipped my head around to look at him. His red eyes were burning with hatred. "What are you talking about?" I demanded.

His features grew hard with the oncoming frustration. "I'll have you know I've been able to uncover every last of my memories over the past years. One of them was when the Commander was a child. I remember it vividly, and my mind doesn't decieve me. He had a chance to give Maria the necklace. The chance was right there in front of him. She was even looking for him when he tried to deliver it to her. But just because I was in the same room, he ran off."

I shook my head. "Quit with your lying! You know that never happened! My grandfather is a brave man!"

"He wasn't one sixty six years ago!" he shouted. "And I'm telling nothing but the truth. I don't know what lies he's told you, or how much he's brainwashed you into believing that he is the victim, but keep in mind that I'm the one who everyone tried and tries to kill. Your grandfather tried to have me executed, but again, just couldn't do it himself. A bit of Deja Vu if you ask me. He had the chance to, but he didn't because he was weak. He's a fool. He hasn't changed at all. And I don't understand how you can stand there and defend the man who works for the very same people that killed everyone on the ARK!"

I couldn't take it. Shadow was starting to make too much sense. Everything he was telling me conflicted with what my grandpa's told me, and went against everything I believed. But I would take my grandpa's word over his any day. I tried to push him away. "Shut up! That's enough!"

He surprisingly pried his body away from me and left me there.

"Telling me to shut up now? I should rip you apart limb from limb. The only thing stopping me is the last Chaos Emerald. I'm already stuck with you for our next mission, as well as the next few months. I WILL get that necklace from you. If not now, it will happen later."

I watched him leave, feeling myself shake as the pain in my head pounded against my skull.

He's lying. My grandfather isn't a coward. He's a brave man. A great man.

Shadow's my enemy. I don't care what he says or how much depth he puts into his cowardice fibs. He's lying about everything. This is why I hate him. This is why I've always hatedd him. We will always be enemies, him and I. Always.

I heard Shadow speak one last time before completely dissapearing.

"You're in for it, Rachel," he spat with venom. "Soon, you'll see my side of the story. Whether you want to or not."

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(A/N:) Gosh, for some reason this chapter was extremely hard for me to write. That's why it wasn't one of my better ones. Oh well. Hope you like it. Please review! I read every single review. I really appreciate you giving me your feedback!. Thanks for reading, have a nice day/night :)


	13. Sunshine and Rainbows

**Chapter Revised [x]**

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><p><strong>(Rachel's POV)<strong>

I lay on the bed in my room quietly, almost silently, except for the exhales of deep exasperation that kept leaving my chest. The lights were shut off. The only light shredding through the darkness came from the gap underneath the door, but even then it was very scarce. My arms were crossed behind my head as I stared blankly at the ceiling. I wasn't anywhere near as tired as I was when I first arrived here. All I did here was sleep, and eat those disgusting nutrient bars. Other than that, there was absolutely nothing to do. The boredom was so intense, it made me feel like I was slowly withering away.

_I've lost track of time now, but I know it's been only a few days at the most. I can't go on like this for the rest of my time here. I just can't._

_If only I had my mp3 player. I could really use jamming to some of my favorite songs right about now. I want to avert my mind to anything but this, and music has always been the quick solution._

But then, a light bulb went off in my head. Hey, why not just make my own music? Sure, I have a horrible sense of rhythm when it comes to drumming or beat boxing.. But I still have my voice.

I can just sing. Why the hell not. It's been a while since I have, and it was the only way I could think of entertaining myself.

I thought for a moment on what song to choose, and after bypassing all the depressing tunes that surfaced from my mood, one instantly came to mind. I inhaled a small pocket of air and opened my mouth.

**(Shadow's POV)**

That Rachel girl and I hadn't conversed in quite some time. Dr. Eggman informed me that we had already entered the Tadpole Galaxy and were due to land in Tragaria in a few hours. He had sent me here to give her the news, only because he couldn't find Bokkun for some damn weird reason.

I wasn't looking forward to it. Every time I talked to her, even though it had only been a few times, some sort of conflict broke out between us. It was starting to get annoying. I didn't like arguing with a teenager when I couldn't even find the strength to physically hurt her and teach her a lesson like she deserved.

Of all the things that seemed to intensify my frustration with her, they all paled in comparison to the time when I found out she had Maria's necklace in her possession. She wouldn't even let me see the necklace that rightfully belonged to my friend from six decades ago.

I thought that necklace was long gone by now. I thought it had been lost when the G.U.N. soldiers infiltrated the ARK sixty six years ago. But I guess that wasn't subtle thinking. Tower survived the incident, so he was bound to still have it with him, and for whatever reason kept it all these years.

Maria could've gotten the chance to wear it herself and maybe perish with it. But no, I remember very well how puny Tower was as a kid. He was scared of everything, including, if not mostly me. Even to the point that he wouldn't talk to Maria if I was nearby. Him being frightened of me didn't bother me, but it didn't appeal to me either. A lot of people were scared of me. Maria was the only one who seemed to replace fear with interest.

Instead of Maria wearing the necklace, it was now strapped around the neck of Tower's grand-daughter. A stubborn, arrogant, smart-mouth kid. She was the exact opposite of Maria. She didn't understand anyone's feelings, nor did she bother to. All she cared about was her own wellbeing. She refused to believe any of the things I told her, all of which were cold hard facts. The Commander really must have fed her some harsh lies about me, and just to victimize himself? How revolting.

It ground my gears to see that blue charm, something that would've looked so well on my friend, matched her trademark dress and her eyes, on _Rachel_. It was being worn by the wrong granddaughter.

I finally arrived in front of B-12, which was her room. I sighed quietly to myself and lifted my hand to enter the access code. _Nothing left to do but get this over with._

But just as my finger brushed past one of the keys on the screen next to the door, I heard some sort of melodic music coming from within the room.

_…The hell?_

I drew my arm away and listened closer, completely baffled.

What's going on here. How can the girl be playing music? There were no stereos in there, no sort of device that could play audio. But I realized that the music had no instrumentals. It was purely vocal. And what disturbed me more was that the voice was familiar.

It was... Rachel?

I now had my ear pressed against the door in order to hear better.

Yes, it was indeed her. She was singing. From what I could make of her muffled voice, it didn't sound like it normally did when she was angry or shouting at me. It sounded more pure, and even haunting like a siren. The song itself was slow, resembling an infant's lullaby. I listened carefully.

"And I've been drinking like a fish,  
>and sinking in my deep blue sea.<br>I'm trying to drown out the bad and the nasty thing you done on me.  
>And nothing seems to fit, I'm weeping on my knees.<br>And all that I've left to say concerning you is...  
>what a lucky escape for me."<p>

An unwelcome chill scattered down my back. It was hard to believe that the girl I was hearing now was the same girl I'd been fighting with for the last couple of days. Her voice alone made me feel unusually grim, and started resurfacing all my worst memories. But strangely, I couldn't bring myself to rip away, and flattened my ear to the door completely.

After a few more minutes passed, her voice whole-heartedly had me caught in some sort of trance. I released a quiet sigh. This music seemed to break through my toughest barriers. It felt like it had surged through my mind and was reopening all the wounds, and strange emotions were beginning to flow again. It was different from anything I'd felt, almost like nostalgia in the form of sound waves. And I wanted to hear more.

It wasn't like some sort of desperate need to hear her voice continuously or anything. But once I realized she'd stopped, I found myself frowning disappointedly.

"Hey! What are you doing standing outside the door, Shadow?" I heard a high pitched voice squeak from behind me, breaking me out of my thoughts. I turned around and saw a hovering, dumbfounded Bokkun gaping back at me.

Almost embarrassed for myself, I panicked immediately. The scene must have looked very strange from a third person point of view.

"_Shutup_!" I hissed quietly, jumping away from the door and smacking him back as well. But it was too late. Rachel would have to be deaf to have not heard him. This was just great, because now she'll find out I've been here eavesdropping the entire time.

I didn't hear her say anything from the other side of the door. Nothing but air, and the quiet humming of the Egg Carrier zipping through space.

I wished I could've just walked away and pretended this never took place. But then I recalled my objective. I still needed to inform her about landing in Tragaria. I reluctantly started entering the access code.

_And now, cue the silence before the storm. I hope she doesn't gain suspicions or blow a circuit on me after she figures it out. Knowing what little I do, I know she'll never let this go. Then again, it's her fault for luring me into this demise with that voice._

_And it's my fault for being an idiot and sticking around to listen._

**(Rachel's POV)**

After I finished singing, I realized that I had almost lulled myself back to sleep. I started to seal my eyes, when I suddenly heard voices coming from outside the room. My head craned to the side and I watched the long shadows underneath the gap of the door.

"Hey! What are you doing standing outside the door, Shadow?"

"_Shutup_!"

The shadows suddenly melted together and shuffled around quickly.

I raised my eyebrows and sat up. The voice that was speaking was Bokkun, accompanied by some other. But didn't he say _Shadow_?

Was Shadow standing outside my door?

I then realized the extent of the situation and hopped off the bed with wide eyes. Shadow had been standing outside my door! How long had he been there? Does that mean he heard me singing? I felt my cheeks douse in scarlet heat.

_My gosh_. Knowing how unforgiving he is, he would probably never let this go.

At first, nothing happened. But then I heard the familiar key pressing and the beep, indicating the door had unlocked. It slid open, and there stood the ebony hedgehog's silhouette contrasting against the lighting of the hallway. Bokkun's tiny figure slipped inside and flicked on the light switch. I squinted through the brightness until my pupils had shrunk to the appropriate size.

"Woah. That's mighty creepy of you. Sitting here in the dark and whatnot," he chirped at me jokingly.

But I wasn't paying attention to him. I had my eyes glued on Shadow. He looked angry, no surprise there really. But I could detect something else behind the hard glare. Another emotion that was near impossible to decipher.

He suddenly ripped his eyes away from me and looked to the side, opening his mouth to speak. "We've entered the uh...Tadpole Galaxy. We're...landing on that planet soon...Yeah," he said.

I lifted an eyebrow. He sounded different than usual. It wasn't nervousness. It was almost like he was ashamed.

He then turned his back on me to leave. "That's all I came for. To tell you that. And now that you've been told, I'm leaving." he stated before walking out.

Right before he left, Bokkun perked up. "Oh really? That's the only reason you came? Because it looks like you ended up sticking around prior to telling her anything!" he giggled tauntingly.

I watched Shadow shoot him a dirty look, followed by a low growl. I intertwined my fingers together and twiddled my thumbs. "What do you mean, Bokkun?"

Bokkun appeared more than happy to explain. He pointed a gloved finger at Shadow. "Mr. Sunshine and Rainbows here had his ear all up on your door when I showed up. I don't know what he was listening to, but he seemed very interested!" he teased.

I almost laughed out loud at the nickname. Somehow, the knowledge of him eavesdropping didn't shock me as much as I thought it would.

Shadow gritted his teeth angrily and reeled back an enclosed fist, threatening to punch the little hovering messenger into a coma. "You'd be wise to shut up now. I'm only here because you were nowhere to be found when you were actually needed!" he said.

However, Bokkun didn't appear to be fazed in the slightest. He flew off, emitting his high pitched laughter as he did.

After his laughs had faded off, I untangled my hands, now crossing my arms over my chest. "So, you were _listening_ to me, Shadow?" I asked him with half lidded eyes.

He didn't answer.

I frowned impatiently. "Well were you? Own up to it, _Sunshine and Rainbows_."

He snarled with rage, turning back around to face me.

"I might have been. But don't go getting any stupid ideas. I just came to give you that information, only to find you going off in here like some sort of bird. Figures, you would do something pathetic like that. But, come to think of it, _why_ were you doing it anyway? Already going insane?"

His question caught me off guard. "No I...I was just bored? I had nothing better to do! I can't leave my room, there was no other way to keep myself occupied. And I-...wait a second! I don't have to explain all this to you! What I do in the privacy of my room is none of your business. Buzz off!"

After I blurted those last words, I half-expected Shadow to say something like, _"You do have to answer to me. You're our hostage."_ Or, _"Watch what you say to me. You know I'm capable of killing you,"_ or something hostile like that.

But instead, he did something I thought I would never see him do.

He smiled.

It was very small and hardly there. But it was still a smile. He laughed softly to himself.

"Mkay. Whatever you say, Rachel," he said.

Right then, the door slid shut, cutting him off from my room. I stood there gaping back at the space where he once stood. His footsteps eventually died away as I groaned to myself.

_What a weirdo._

I crashed back against the sheets on the bed, humming the song I had previously sung. It was a song my mother used to sing all the time. Not to me directly. She sang lots of different things absent mindedly while she showered, gardened, and even in public when she went shopping. It used to embarrass me, but now that she stopped altogether, I sort of missed her sweet voice. But not near as much as I missed it now.

Oh well, I suppose it's back to sleep I go.

**(Shadow's POV)**

As much as Rachel annoyed me, her little antics were becoming somewhat humorous. They didn't change a thing, though. She was still another human that I had every reason to hate. Just one who could sing, apparently.

_Looks like she's way more than what I bargained for._

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**(A/N) Like, omg. What a random chapter, AWOL-iNSANiTY. What were you thinking?**

**This isn't a filler chapter little ones. I've decided to do a small side chapter between every chapter where they go off to get a Chaos Emerald. That way Shadow and Rachel have time to bond when they aren't on missions. Also, it could be a little comic relief. Even if it isn't funny, you know what I mean. Just…relief.**

**I'm still debating on whether or not these two should end up together. A lot of people hate human/hedgehog. I personally have no problem with it. I mean, these aren't normal animals we're dealing with. They're anthromorphic, and possess human qualities. I even think it could be cute. Does that make me weird?**

**You all probably think I have mental issues now.**

**I could always just make this a friendship story, with no romance, and just change the category. Or, I can make it a like a forbidden love story, which is what I originally planned. I promise, I can do this and make it non-cheesy. Their relationship will be badass either way. I know I'm supposed to write for myself, but would you guys like it better if this was more about becoming friends, rather than love? **

**Okay, I'm done blabbing. Review and tell me what you think! And thank you to all those who have reviewed already, especially the ones who are continuous reviewers that watch my story and wait for updates. You know who you are!**

**Thanks, bye!**


	14. The First Chaos Emerald

**Chapter Revised [x]**

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><p><strong>(Shadow's POV)<strong>

After three long miserable days, the Egg Carrier finally broke through Tragaria's orbit. Surprisingly, it took us longer to get there than it did to get to Earth. We must have gone far. And I mean _far._

Rachel and I had avoided each other at all costs up until this point. Bokkun had escorted her out of her room earlier and brought her here with me and Eggman. The moment I saw her, that near unbearable tension between us resurfaced.

We were currently waiting in the control room for the aircraft to land. Dr. Eggman was at the controls, steering his way into the foreign planet's dense atmosphere. And Rachel was standing alongside of me, head turned the other way the other way. Her chin then cocked forward, her gaze firmly pressed on the Doctor who was working his fingers away at the keyboard. Through the uncaring exterior, something about the way she was bouncing on her heels suggested she felt antsy for whatever reason. She appeared to be more interested in this mission than she should've been, or at least for someone who was being brought along as punishment. She wasn't completely eager, but again, I could detect a look of impatience, and nervousness on her face. I tried to not look at her altogether, but for some reason it was difficult.

While I stood there quietly trying to decode her thoughts, Bokkun was whining in the background, tormenting the Doctor like a spoiled child. He begged him to be allowed to tag along with us three.

"Please Dr. Robotnik! Please! Please let me go with you guys! I'll be good, I promise! Please! Please! _Pleeeease!"_

Dr. Eggman glared at him. "For the last time, NO! I've told you time and time again, you're my messenger! You're lucky that I promoted you to Rachel's food and water deliverer, but it's only because you were worthless to begin with. You have absolutely no business going on missions with us! If I need any help, I will use my fighter robots, not you!"

Bokkun stared back at him with a trembling bottom lip and watery eyes. "B-But I wanted to get out of this place and see another planet. A-A-And it gets lonesome here..."

The Doctor scraped his thumb and index finger together. "Aww. You hear that, Bokkun? I'm playing the world's smallest violin. It's to show that I truly feel your pain..."

Now the little messenger was bawling uncontrollably. "No you don't! You don't care about me at all! You never cared about me! You were nicer to Decoe and Bocoe when they were still around. But no, not me! I've met toasters with more sympathy than you!" He then covered his eyes with his hands. "Wahahaha! It sucks being me sometimes, Doctor!"

Besides his crying and moping, nobody said anything else. But, if I'm not mistaken, I could've sworn I saw the corner of Rachel's mouth curve into a side smile. She seemed amused, but didn't express it very much. I guessed it was because Bokkun was always working her last nerve, mocking her when he delivered food and whatnot. Maybe seeing him whine and cry and still not get his way gave her some feeling of justice. I couldn't help but find this sort of reaction from her extremely rare. Even if it was something small, I figured I would never find her even remotely happy here.

I inwardly shrugged to myself. _Oh well. She can be happy or unhappy all she wants. It's not my problem._

Dr. Eggman finally steered our way completely through the atmosphere. I could hear the wind outside whipping against the walls, whistling as it rushed passed us. There were no windows for us to look out of, since he had them shielded off for some reason. Eggman was guiding us through a camera programmed on a screen in the computer system. Therefore, I couldn't look outside for myself.

After what felt like mere seconds, we felt the whole aircraft make rough contact with ground, causing me and Rachel to stumble. But we caught our balance just as quickly. Rachel furrowed her eyebrows. "We're already here? That was a quick landing," she said confusedly.

Dr. Eggman ignored her. "Oh ho ho ho!" he laughed, spinning around and hopping out of his chair. "This is interesting! I've never visited this planet, nor this galaxy before. Now, what do you say Team? Let's go get that Chaos Emerald! To the hovercraft!"

In contrast to his sudden burst of energy, we both obeyed without a change in expression and silently followed him out of the control room and down to the robotics room, where he kept his hovercraft stationed. Bokkun continued crying and calling after the Doctor with petty insults until he was out of earshot.

With Rachel and I, the tension and discomfort between us grew with every step we took. She was even slightly leaning away from me.

I rolled my eyes. She definitely was Abraham's granddaughter. I could tell by every last one of her mannerisms.

I just wanted to get this mission over with and retrieve the Chaos Emerald, so that I was no longer stuck with her and could resume being on my own like always.

**(Rachel's POV)**

_(Approximately 10 minutes later)_

"Aw, my precious baby...it's been far too long" Dr. Eggman cooed, polishing the side of his rounded hovercraft with his forearm. He quickly placed himself inside and took a seat on the far left side, gesturing for me and Shadow to get inside as well. "Quickly you two, there's no time to waste. Get in and use whatever space you have left over to sit."

I examined the hovercraft carefully. The whole thing was more than big enough to fit three people. Well, big enough to fit three normal sized people. But with Dr. Eggman on board, I could tell this would be a bit of a squeeze. I chose not to complain out loud, but inside I was cursing myself over and over.

_Yay, I get to be smooshed up against my favorite people in the world..._

Shadow got in first, and then scooted over so I would have some room to sit. Even though I was relieved for not having to be right smack dab in the middle, I noticed that he seemed to intentionally leave a not so generous amount of space. I frowned and slipped inside next to him, trying my hardest not to come into contact with anything but the cushions. But after the automatic door closed next to me, I ended up getting shoved against him anyway.

I looked over slightly and saw that Shadow's arm and my arm were completely pressed together. A strange feeling was occurring between our touch. Almost like a small electric twinge. These seemed to happen quite frequently when I came into physical contact with him. But I disregarded it.

I squirmed uncomfortably, attempting to scoot away from him as far as possible, but of course to no prevail.

"Just stop moving," he growled under his breath.

I ceased my actions and turned around with a heavy glare, ready to retort with some smartass comment. It was already in my nature to instantly be cold towards him. I couldn't help it. That's how he was with me from the start! But then after looking, I realized how close we really were. With both of our eyes on one another, our faces were merely inches apart. His crimson irises burned brightly.

I scowled and turned away in disgust, but also felt a little heat tinting my face. I didn't like having this closeness with him at all.

"Gee, my bad," I stated with false endearment, crossing my arms. He made a small 'tuh' sound, and then nothing else was said. Dr. Eggman didn't bother to comment and revved up the hovercraft so that it began to, well, hover. I then forgot about me and Shadow's quarrel and my mood started to climb north.

I had to admit, getting a ride in a hovercraft WAS pretty cool.

He began slowly driving it out of the robotics room until we were gliding down the long, empty halls at a smooth speed. He gradually went faster, making my stomach tickle. We reached the end of the Carrier where the main door was. It automatically slid upwards and open for us.

As soon as the opening door had lifted far enough to fit under, the Doctor rode us out into what appeared to be a some dark, overshadowed environment.

Tragaria.

I closed my eyes hesitantly; a little scared of what was about to happen. I'd been fantasizing about this trip for a while, but the only part that stuck with me was that I had to stay with Shadow. Now that it was happening for real, a million worries were clouding my mind.

This was a completely different planet! What if the air here wasn't suitable for a human like me to breathe? What if the oxygen wasn't dense enough, and I suffocated… if oxygen even existed here! What if a strange chemical was lingering through the atmosphere, and as soon as it made contact with me, I would shrivel up and die, or mutate and become radioactive like those bad guys in comics after they fall into toxic waste dumps.

For being a generally cautious person, I couldn't believe I hadn't realized this sooner.

This was dangerous.

I shut my eyes, thinking that if I didn't see anything, then nothing could hurt me.

But then a small memory replaced all my thoughts.

A memory that I shared with my father.

**(Flashback)**

_(8 years ago)_

"This is too high, Daddy, TOO high" I complained lightly, looking over the edge of our rollercoaster cart. After seeing how high we really were, I swallowed nervously and felt my eyes glaze with frightened tears.

I quickly shut them, feeling like if I didn't see anything, the fear would disappear altogether.

We were at Twinkle Park, riding the scariest ride there. Codename, The Cobra. It was a red and gold rollercoaster that had a sharp drop and two loops. We'd just gotten on and had gone trailing up the large arch that led to the first drop, now resting at the peak. Earlier I was feeling brave. Even in the line, my dad and I were both pumped up and ready to go on, since Mom had to stay back with the twins being they were too young. It was just him and I, like old times, and I liked that. But now I didn't want to go through with this. I was going to die. I just knew it.

My father put his arm around me comfortingly, laughing gently like he had expected this to happen. "Don't close your eyes, Rachel. Keep them open. Get a load of the view."

I shook my head childishly. "No no no! It's too scary!"

He nudged my shoulder. "No really, look. Station Square looks beautiful from way up here. If you don't look now, you'll really be wishing you had later."

I hesitated and then opened my eyes with a pout, shifting them to the side and taking in the city before me. My frown gradually upturned into a smile.

The city lights were glittering like iridescent diamonds, and the sight instantly made my heart warm. The sky was a deep, dark, rich turquoise color, since the sun had already sunk and evening was setting it. The usual happy and dancy theme park music was playing beneath us, adding to the moment. He was right. It was beautiful.

Dad looked at me with a smile. "See? What'd I tell you? I bet if you look hard enough, you'll even see Sonic the Hedgehog running around town too! Just look out for a speeding blur of blue!"

I giggled at the sound of my hero's name and trademark.

"Now you know not to close your eyes, sweetie," Dad said. "You don't want to miss anything that you'll regret later. Not even when we go on the loops. When we go upside down, look back towards the city. You'll see all the buildings upside down, hanging over the sky like a chandelier. I do it whenever I ride this. It gets better and better each time!"

I sighed and nodded in obedience. I kept my eyes open the entire time. Throughout the ride, my stomach did many jolts that legitimately scared me, but I slowly came to like the feeling. Instead of screaming my head off, I ended up laughing loudly with him as my pigtails whipped around through every sharp turn, drop, swirl, and loop.

I kept my eyes open the entire time, just like he asked.

And I feel like if I hadn't I would've regretted it.

**(End of Flashback)**

Such a random memory.

_This isn't a rollercoaster ride though, Rachel. This is reality. Your strange, science-fiction turned reality. You're on an alien planet. This is a matter of life or death. Don't you get that?_

But then something occurred to me. Closing my eyes wouldn't make a difference. If I had closed them on the rollercoaster with my dad, I would've still felt the same lurching feeling in my stomach, but it would've happened without seeing the view, and that was my favorite part of the whole ride.

_Come on. If you do die, don't you want to at least see what this place looks like first?_

I slowly lifted my head and opened my eyes. My lips parted unintentionally and a gasp escaped my throat.

Once again, I was glad that I didn't hide my eyes. This place wasn't scary. It was amazing.

There had to be some sort of living creatures here, because in front of us was a long, endless city full of cascading buildings, coated in a mirrored consistency that reflected the rainbow colored stars in the night sky. The buildings themselves seemed to descend forever, like there was no ground here, but rather a black obsidian. I caught sight of small vehicles zipping through the air on invisible paths. They all looked the same, each sporting the same shiny silver color. They must have been flying cars or something of the sort.

All the buildings had windows with white lights piercing outwards from them. Some were bright, others were dimmed. And then some faded on and off.

Instead of horns blaring and annoying sirens being the soundtrack of the city, there was calm whooshing from the flying cars, and what sounded like little bells ringing in the distance. Instead of people shouting and crying out at each other, there was soft laughter and gentle chatter heard by the people sitting outside the buildings on triangular shaped balconies.

I took a deep breath, admiring this surreal beauty.

_Wait, what? Breath? I can breathe...? Effing yes!_

So I wouldn't die. I could enjoy this place to my heart's content.

"It's really beautiful..." I sighed in wonder, unable to peel my gaze off the mesmerizing view.

Dr. Eggman continued steering the hovercraft without looking at me. "Yes. It is rather nice here, I'll admit. But remember, we're not here as vacationing tourists. Our top priority is getting the Chaos Emerald and then leaving immediately."

I paid no attention to him. If he wanted to be a killjoy, then by all means let him be the naggy elder. But I on the other hand wanted to enjoy this. I knew I would never see this place again for as long as I lived. So what was wrong with letting it soak in?

He spoke again. "Now listen, you two. My trackers have discovered the location of the Chaos Emerald. I picked up its signal with surprising ease, because it's being used to efficiently power something in the city. That means the Ambassador here more than likely won't hand it over willingly to us. However, we've prepared ourselves for that. It's on the roof of the tallest building here, inside a capsule that's being guarded by security. The guards are not directly surrounding it. They reside in lower regions, I'm guessing due to the thin air at the top. You can breathe up there, but not for a long amount of time. I need you to break the capsule once you get up there, Shadow, then take the Emerald, and proceed with using Chaos Control to get back to the Carrier. I'll go try to find the authorities and distract them just for safety's sake."

I raised an eyebrow. "Woah, okay slow down. So are you saying I should go with you, Eggman?" I asked him cautiously. "It sounds like you have the plan all worked out, and I don't see how I could benefit anything from accompanying Shadow."

I was almost hoping that he would ask me to go with him. I didn't want to get caught up in the action of Shadow stealing the Chaos Emerald. My little precious heart could only take so much!

But in all seriousness, as much as I hated Dr. Eggman, I hated Shadow more.

Shadow instantly jumped in. "Not a chance on your life, kid. As much as I would prefer to do this alone, a deal is a deal. You are coming with me and that's all there is to it," he remarked as if it was a threat.

I cowered away. _Sheesh, when was he suddenly on board with dragging me along everywhere?_

Dr. Eggman only nodded. "Exactly my thoughts. Stole the words right out of my mouth. Sorry, little girl. No ifs, ands, or buts."

I sighed and dropped my head in defeat.

He then looked back towards the city of Tragaria, suddenly pointing out at something.

"Look there! That must be the building where the Chaos Emerald is!"

Shadow and I both looked in the direction he was jutting his finger at. I instantly knew which building he was referring to after locking eyes with it. It was about twice the size of a regular skyscraper on Earth, and even from our high viewpoint we had to tilt our necks to see the top. The tip of it was a needle stabbing upwards and pricking the stars. But instead of being smooth and circular, it was blunter and curled over in a twisted formation like some kind of vine.

There were many strobe lights shining off of it, dancing at all angles between the layered buildings of the city like spotlights on a colossal dance floor. Once again, I took in the beautiful sight.

This was like a city of dreams.

My thoughts came to a screeching halt when I felt a hand grab me by my arm. Anger quickly washed out the astonishment on my face as I looked up at the owner of the hand. Shadow glared back at me.

"Time to go."

He held up the red Chaos Emerald with his free hand, hardening his eyes. "Chaos Control!"

The familiar white light blanked out the gorgeous surroundings. A wave of dizziness crashed over me, causing me to see double for a second. But my vision quickly stilled when the whiteness faded and I found myself even higher than before.

My lungs clenched slightly from the thin air as I peered down and saw that we were now overlooking the city from miles high. Above us, the sky was so close I thought I reach up and dip my fingers into it.

I knew we were actually _here_, on top of the same building we were looking at earlier.

Shadow squeezed my arm, sending a shockwave spark to get my attention before letting go. I huffed and looked back at him. He made a quick swiping motion towards his mouth, basically telling me to keep my mouth shut and not say or make a single sound, and that included huffing. I gave him one stiff nod, almost insulted that he thought I was dumb enough to bring that much attention to us when there were supposedly security guards not too far away.

Wait, there were guards, now that I remembered. They were directly below us, weren't they.

I quickly took a few baby steps towards the edge of the building, carefully looking all the way over. There was no rail bordering the rooftop, I guess because the inhabitants here didn't expect anyone to be waltzing about on top of this building to begin with. Maybe that's why it was so high too. All I had to do was take a step one millimeter too far and I would soon be plummeting to my death.

My dark hair hung around my face as I looked down. Beneath me, I could see the guards, covered in shingles and chained armor, with lit up spectrums of colors decorating the attire from head to toe in a robotic fashion. But they weren't robots, because they were moving like living people would, gently swaying and fidgeting as they turned their heads in all directions, looking out for someone that would dare be stupid enough to cross them and try getting on this blasted building. I couldn't see their faces due to the vertical angle, but I could make out what looked like some sort of elongated guns placed in their metal-shielded hands. One of the guards looked down at his and held down the trigger in a supposed test run. Blue sparks of electricity bloomed at the tip of the gun, swirling around themselves as they hissed and popped. He then moved his finger away and let the sparks die down.

I stared at the weapons curiously. Were they tasers? Taser guns? Did they stun a person upon contact or kill them?

I knew one thing for sure. I certainly did not want to find out.

I felt Shadow's fingers grab me by the back of my shirt and pull me away from the edge. As soon as I turned around to frown at him, he released me and walked over to a large ovular glass container. My eyes followed him and widened.

It was the capsule with the Chaos Emerald inside.

The Emerald was inside, glowing with blue, radiating depths. Parts of it glistened in lighter tints, and when the lights hit it, it sparkled from the center.

As soon as I saw it, the same feeling that I got from seeing the red one slowly coursed inside of me. That strange connection of power. It made my heart flutter.

I almost brought it to Shadow's attention, but remembered that I wasn't allowed to speak anyway. Besides, why should I confide in him? He was Shadow the Hedgehog for crying out loud.

Shadow raised his fist above the capsule, ready to punch it. His blood-red eyes darted back to meet mine for a moment, and he gave a slight nod. If actions could speak, the words I was picking up from him were, 'Don't get in my way and get ready to run. There's no turning back after this.'

I nodded back towards him to show I would cooperate, for the sake of my own life of course. And without further adieu, he rammed his fist into the glass, shattering it into a dust consistency.

The sound of the glass disintegrating under his touch was so loud, it caused me to jump and bite back a squeal. I then came to a realization.

'Get ready to run' Right?

_But run where? I'm on top of a damn building!_

But it was too late.

All hell broke loose.

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>(AN) Wow, this was a hard chapter to write. I've never made any thing science fictiony. Nothing extremely interesting happened in it, but believe me I will make up for that with the next chapter. Sorry for taking so long to update. School started Monday -.- Blahh. But it's all good because I was reunited with all my good friends. And one of them is hilarious and won't stop quoting Mean Girls.

_"She doesn't even go here!"_

I wish everyone who has just started school good luck. No matter what grade you're in, I hope you have a good year :) Peace and blessings.

Review!


	15. Escape from the City of Dreams

**(RACHEL'S POV)**

But it was too late.

All hell broke loose.

A loud horn blared throughout the entire city, sounding off an alarm. Once it reached my ears, I gasped loudly and whipped my head around to survey our surroundings. All the lights on every building simultaneously went out. Tragaria was now completely pitch black. The sound of the citizens laughing and chattering transcended into bloodcurdling screams. Men were shouting, women were wailing, and even what sounded like babies were letting out pained cries. Suddenly, the strobe lights on our building flashed back to life, except now the previously white light had become blood red, like the lights of an intrusion. They all turned sharply and shined their light on me, Shadow, and the Chaos Emerald.

We had unleashed the ultimate nightmare on the city of dreams. Darkness. That must've been what the Chaos Emerald was being powered for. To light up the entire city. Because without it, Tragaria was dead. I was almost guilty that I'd been involved in this whole ordeal. I played a part in the downfall of an innocent world that was practically bursting with its own unique beauty and tranquility before we arrived. We had brought it into hopeless misery. But I didn't have time to show my sincerity. The only lights in the city, and possibly on the entire planet were on us for everyone to see. It wouldn't be long before someone showed up to arrest, attack, or even kill us for what we'd done. We needed to get out of here!

"Shadow," I stated urgently to get Shadow's attention, facing him as my hands started to quiver. I saw that even he looked stunned by the effect of taking the Chaos Emerald out of the console on this building. The Emerald still showed off its rich cerulean beauty. He curled his fingers around it tightly and growled, extending his hand out towards me to grip my sleeve.

Once he got a hold of me, he held the Chaos Emerald above his head.

"Let's go!" he shouted. "Chaos...Ahh!"

I gasped and watched in horror as the crimon-striped hedgehog stiffened and arched forward, shouting out in shock and pain as he shook violently. It appeared that an unknown energy was taking him over. His body thrashed itself to the ground, causing him to release me and land on his stomach as he squeezed his eyes shut. He slowly twitched and tried to regain control of himself, keeping the Chaos Emerald protected underneath him. I felt my heart begin hammering against my chest.

"Shadow!" I screamed. Worry and fear captivated every feature on my face. If he was hurt, then there was no hope for either of us. We wouldn't be able to escape if he was unable to warp us away using Chaos Control. But what exactly happened to him?

I then looked up and saw one of the armored guards from before looming over him, holding his weapon in a strange stance. I had almost completely forgotten about the guards. I then noticed the blue sparks dancing at the tip of his weapon, and realized that the worst had happened. He electrocuded Shadow.

The guard was accompanied by several other guards that stood on either side of him. They were no longer looking at him, and now had their sheilded eyes plastered on me. I was too scared to move, too scared to speak. I remained frozen in place. The guard that had struck Shadow with his electric taser thing, stepped over the now nearly unconcious hedgehog and viciously stalked over to me.

He made a low growl that came from the pit of his stomach. My fear managed to reach my feet and I started to back away. I came to the frightening realization that I was trapped between the guard and the edge of this building. And I could feel the edge coming closer and closer.

The guard hastily raised his weapon up again, preparing to strike me. He held down the trigger, so that more sparks were emitted from it. They crackled and popped, swirling around each other in a chaotic frenzy, ready to launch their petrifying energy on the nearest person. And low and behold, that nearest person was me.

"Say goodbye..." an eerie voice whispered from underneath the armor. I paused and took a moment to absorb the new outrageous fact that I learned about this planet. The inhabitants here could speak English. How that was possible, I had no earthy idea. I then let his words sink in, and concluded that this was it. I was done for. I looked down over my shoulder and saw the empty nothingness of this groundless city directly beneath me. The edge was right underneath my heel. To fall into this empty, perpetual void and be swallowed by darkness, was like all my worst nightmares come true. But there was no escape. Even if Shadow could help me, I had a feeling he wouldn't. He had the Emerald, so he would escape while he could and leave me to die on a planet that wasn't even my own. My body would never be found. I would dissapear without a trace.

A warm tear slid down my cheek. _I love you Mom, Dad, Grandpa, Emma, and Travis. I'll miss all my friends. I'll miss Station Square. I'll miss the rare, precious moments of seeing Sonic the Hedgehog run around the city. I'll miss the warm Earth air on my face. I'll miss being me. A normal, happy, innocent sixteen year old girl named Rachel Tower._

_I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that this happened. Sorry that I made you worry for me, all because I was stupid enough to let myself get kidnapped. I was stupid enough to make myself a part of a situation that I was never meant to be involved in. I'm sorry that you never got the chance to see me again. Just know that I love you, and that you'll always be in my heart._

All I wanted to do now was wrap my arms around my family, and feel the warmth of their embrace envelop me. I wanted to hear their familiar voices laughing, and to hear my own laugh, all melted together. I watched the past events of my short-lived life flash before my eyes as I waited for the pain to come.

_Goodbye._

**(SHADOW'S POV)**

I picked my head up slowly, groaning in agony. I'd been electrocuded before, no doubt. It was usually never even enough to slow me down. But this, this was something unimaginably worse. My whole body felt like it was filling with needles. My heart was burning in white hot pain, and my blood was on fire. It felt like I was paralyzed. If I made even the smallest movement, the needles turned into sharp knives. It was agonizing.

After my eyes lifted, I looked ahead of me only to find that my vision was blurred. After it shifted into focus, I saw a girl standing at the edge of the building, with her arms curled against her chest fearfully, and her head bowed down. I then saw the same guard who had attacked me was raising his readied weapon in her direction, and my eyes shot open fully. _That girl..._it was Rachel.

Even though I could hardly think straight, I knew one thing for sure. I would not let these people hurt Rachel. And that was clearly about to happen. Hmph, not if I could help it.

I didn't know what it was, but just like the first time I encountered her, I felt the strange need to protect her. I ignored the stabbing pain filling my body and buckled my legs straight. I picked myself up quickly before the guards behind me could react, jumping forward at the guard. I summoned all my Chaos power as my mouth inverted into a vengeful scowl.

_It's payback time._

**(RACHEL'S POV)**

"Chaos Spear!" I heard Shadow yell.

I opened my eyes and looked up quickly, just in time to see raw, yellow darts of energy shoot through the guard like arrows. He groaned loudly and dropped his weapon. The sparks nearly grazed me as they fell. The guard then slumped forward and tumbled off the building's cliff, flipping sideways as his unconcious body descended into the darkness. I watched the gruesome sight as my hair blew around me until he was no longer visible, and felt the images branding themselves into my memories. That had definitely scarred me for life.

I flung back around and gaped at Shadow the Hedgehog. He spun into a ball and drilled himself into all of the other guards until they were down. He moved quickly in a black and red blur, before stopping and landing on his feet. His eyes shot back towards me, and he suddenly sprinted at me. My heart dropped. For a moment, I thought he was going to attack me too. I flinched away uncertainly and mentally prepared myself for the blow. But my confusion was further extended when I heard him jump, and felt the tingling sensation of his touch as his arms pushed me forward then wrapped around me. I gasped and tried to step back.

"What are you doing? Are you crazy?"

I instantly lost my balance and stepped off the edge. As soon as the gravity started to pull me down, it was like my heart and stomach simultaneously did five thousand flips for each dragging second. I let out a loud, broken scream as we both plummeted downwards head-first into the unforgiving black abyss. My arms unintentionally flew forward and tightened around the hedgehog's body. For the second time tonight, I waited for the end to come.

**(SHADOW'S POV)**

I took in a deep breath the moment Rachel and I began to fall. She screamed over my shoulder, and I felt my heart skip a beat as she actually brought her arms around me and clutched me tighter to her. I smirked to myself, but quickly let it drop and resumed my serious attitude, intently focusing my mind on a new location so we could warp.

"Chaos Control!"

As soon as the white light swallowed the both of us, I strengthened my grip of Rachel's weak figure. I couldn't tell what I was holding on tighter to: the Chaos Emerald, or her. But I didn't care. Right now, I didn't plan on losing either of them. My only intention was to get back to the Egg Carrier and leave this planet behind forever.

As soon as the light faded, I found that me and Rachel were still falling in the same position, but now it was above the buildings rather than below them. It was hard to see through the dark, so I based all the energy I had left solely on my instincts, leaving it up to them to guide us back. I flipped around so that we were falling in an upright stance, and transferred Rachel's legs into my hand so that I was carrying her. I let the Emerald slide into her lap, and she quickly latched one hand onto it, while bringing the other around me neck.

As the buildings neared, I positioned my feet and landed among the railings, jumping and grinding across them as I made my way out of the city.

We were finally out of harm's way.

**(RACHEL'S POV)**

It was unbelievable. Incredible. Indescribable. No...all those words were understatements. But flying around these buildings with Shadow as he carried me in his arms was like something out of a superhero movie. Even though Shadow was supposedly the bad guy. But still, I couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort around him now. I expected him to leave me here to die. But he saved me...since when did _he_ have a heart?

Time seemed to be going in slow motion as Shadow whisked around with me through the buildings like Spiderman without his webs. He did several jumps, dashes, and even grinded through the rails of the buildings like it was nothing. However, despite how proffesional he appeared, it was very evident on his face that he was pushing himself to make it through. I silently willed him to keep going, while holding the Chaos Emerald protectively in my lap to prevent it from falling.

"SHADOW! RACHEL!" A gruff voice hollered from above us. We both extended our necks toward the star-peppered skies and saw Eggman flying overhead in his hovercraft. He did a rushed wave in our direction.

I breathed in nervously, forcing myself to speak back to him. "Eggman!" I called up to him, my voice hitching from the jolting feeling in my stomach. "Did you meet the Ambassador?"

He grinned and pushed his glasses over his nose with one finger. "Indeed! Although he wasn't too thrilled about the whole city losing its power and whatnot, and somehow found out that I was connected to the event. So on that note, I decided to get out of there!"

He paused and studied the blue Chaos Emerald in my hand, then gave an appreciative nod. "Good work, you two! Now let's blow this popsicle stand!"

Shadow continued pelting himself like a ricocheting bullet through the city until we finally made it out. I turned back around and looked behind us, watching the black city slowly fade from view. It was depressing to remember how beautiful it was before we got here. And now, we had drained it of its light, and left all of its inhabitants behind to fend for themselves in the darkness. This Chaos Emerald better be worth all the trouble it's caused.

The Egg Carrier slowly came into view. It was parked on top of an isolated hill in the middle of various, cascading ravines. I never thought I would be so happy to see anything even slightly associated with Eggman. But the Egg Carrier was my way out of here, so I was desperate to get on and get off this planet.

Shadow tightened his fingers around my leg and brought me closer. At first, I was uncomfortable from the closeness, but quickly adjusted and got over it. The main door on the Egg Carrier opened and fell before us, allowing us entry. Bokkun was flying around near the doorway, gesturing for us to hurry and get in with his arm. "Hurry! Hurry!"

Shadow seemed to increase his speed and jumped through the door, landing roughly on the metal floor inside the Egg Carrier. Eggman trailed behind and eventually made it inside as well. After we were all in, the door slid back down and sealed itself, leaving us all panting heavily with relief.

Eggman hovered off in his hovercraft to go park it in its original spot. Once he was gone, Shadow gently pulled his arms out from underneath from me. I stumbled as soon as my feet touched the ground, swaying a bit as a small feeling of motion sickness washed over me. It felt weird to be standing still again. My body had begun getting used to the fast movements.

Before I could think any longer, Shadow snatched the Chaos Emerald out of my hands, bringing my attention back to the world. He slowly started to walk off. My eyes scanned his body as the space between us grew wider. Without thinking, I pursed my lips and held out my hand.

"Wait! Hold on, Shadow," I called to him urgently. My voice was still shaking slightly. It was a little embarassing to hear in my own voice how evident it was that I was new to all this.

The hedgehog stopped and turned his head back around slightly to look at me. He didn't say anything, so I took that as an indicator to go on.

"T-Thank you...for saving me..." I said almost bitterly. I really was more grateful than I expressed, but it was hard to describe what I was feeling. It was like all my emotions were racing each other to see which one got to my brain first. It was out of my nature to be so cold towards someone that had gone out of his way to rescue me. But, I couldn't help but look at Shadow and instantly remember all the reasons why I hated him. _Do I hate him?_ _Still?_ My conscience was split into two voices that were shouting different things at me. One was telling me to actually give Shadow a chance and let him show that maybe he's changed over the course of these sixteen years. But then, I mentally scolded at myself. How dare I give a murderer a chance? I'd rather listen to the wiser and more sensible other voice, insisting that I never leave myself open to Shadow the Hedgehog. No matter what happens.

Back in reality, Shadow lifted a surpised eyebrow and chuckled darkly to himself. "This is what, the second time I've saved your life? You really owe me for all the trouble you've caused, you worthless, annoying girl," he spat.

My eyes widened at his hostility. I clenced my teeth and frowned. "Excuse me? I owe you nothing, you _arrogant, senseless_ hedgehog! Can't you just accept the thank you and move on like a normal person?" I yelled, turning on my heel and stomping off in the opposite direction. "Alright, that's it. I've had enough insanity for one day. Bokkun! Show me where my room is!" I demanded towards the little hovering mutant.

Bokkun sighed and flew in front of me, grumbling to himself. "I swear, there's something weird going on between you two," he said.

He then whisked around and gave me an angry look. "And by the way, where exactly is _my_ thank you? Because I haven't heard it yet! Has anyone here thought to thank me for opening the door? You guys wouldn't have been able to get in if it weren't for me! And you all think I'm good for nothing... I get no recognition in this family and I'm sick of it!"

I cocked an eyebrow. "Uh, family? What family?" I asked in disbelief. "I have a family, some infinite number of lightyears away. If you expect me to treat you like I treat them you can forget it! Because this isn't anything even remotely close to a family! I've had just about enough of everyone here on this damn ship! If this is what getting one Chaos Emerald is like, there's no way I'm going to go out and help look for more! I'm not cut out for this! I'm freaking sixteen, I'm a human, I don't have any abilities! I'm...I'm..."

"Weak."

I stopped dead in my tracks, finally reaching my boiling point. I looked over my shoulder angrily to glare at my least favorite hedgehog in the entire universe. I was sick of him calling me weak, telling me who I was and what was wrong with me. But before I could start an argument with him, I saw that he was gone. The space where he once stood was empty. I rolled my eyes and continued walking, letting Bokkun guide the way. _Figures. He would say something rude and then dissapear. Coward._

Bokkun stared down at the ground, seemingly thinking to himself. He then looked at me curiously. "Hey. You know what they say about a boy and a girl who can't stand each other and hate each other's guts? They start out that way, but then they always end up falling in love with each other. That's how it's supposed to work. Although I can't see you two ever liking each other at all. But still, can't you just get along and quit fighting like brother and sister? You both have such a dumb rivalry."

I felt my cheeks flush. _Me? And Shadow? Together? That's wrong on so many levels!_ Right when I was about to retort, Bokkun stopped me and gestured towards the door.

"Here's your dang room. B-12. Now get your crazy butt in there and prepare for take off!" he commanded before buzzing off.

I growled and stepped inside, allowing the door to shut. After standing there silently for a few seconds, I broke down inside and ran over to the bed, burying my face into it. I wept uncontrollably.

I was sick of crying. I was sick of feeling sorry for myself. But today was such an overwhelming day. And once again, the only thing I yearned for was to be home with my family.

But instead of pitying myself by thinking about them and how I might never see them again, I closed my eyes and relived the moments that I experienced with Shadow. The way he carried me through the city, never even coming close to dropping me. Maybe Bokkun was right. I should drop some of the grudges I held for him and give him a chance.

It was a crazy idea, but it was worth a shot.

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**(Me speaking) Alright now we're finally getting down to the nitty gritty. Next chapter will be the break chapter, but that doesn't mean nothing will happen :)**

**But then again, let's freeze and take a moment to decide if this story should really continue. Should I keep writing, or just give up and move on? I have other stories I'd like to write, but I've already grown attached to this one. I'll keep writing chapters, but I don't have to post them on here. It's up to you. The fate of this fanfiction is in your hands! **

**Jk, I just need one person to tell me that they want me to continue and I'll be happy. So thanks for reading and take care!**


	16. Cruel People Who Move On

**Chapter Revised [x]**

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><p><strong>(Rachel's POV)<strong>

_[Flashback to 10 years ago]_

I let out a long sigh and fell back in the seat on the little wooden bench at the piano. It creaked underneath me from lack of use. My socked feet barely touched the ground as they swung in opposite directions. My white and blue cladded pajamas were hanging loosely on my body.

I was supposed to be asleep right now. It was late and I had school in the morning. But tonight, I was restless for some reason. And being the only one awake in the house, I decided to come in here and sit by the piano alone, having it as my only company. Nobody had been paying attention to me lately anyway. What with my mom pregnant and having fraternal twins on the way, I had kind of been put to the side.

I'd already accepted that these were my last years as an only sibling, as mom and dad's one special girl. And right now, I felt as though the only way I could be special in that sense again, was to reawaken the one talent I was proud to say I had.

The lights were all turned off. The only light was coming from the half-natural moon outside the window. It seemed more serene to keep the room dark, so I didn't bother to even touch the light-switches on the walls.

On the piano, the keys were clean, shiny, and reflected the soft moonlight. I gently ran my fingers across them without completely pressing down. They were cold and smooth, practically begging to be pushed so they could emit their beautiful notes. I wasn't thrilled with the idea that we'd be getting rid of this piano tomorrow. It had to be moved to make room for my new baby brother and sister's cribs. The small, empty room that I was sitting in was originally dedicated to only this antique piano; a room with no other purpose but to be our protective shell for music. But now the room was being made into a nursery. We tried to sell the piano, but no one would take it. These days, everyone was settling for the smaller modern keyboards. And this timeless wooden masterpiece was too large to fit in the average Station Square house. So, the only people left to take it were the trash people. We had no other choice. It was such a tragic waste. As much as I didn't want to admit it, I knew that a unique bond had formed between me and the instrument.

One last song... all I needed to do was play one last song, and hopefully that would leave me feeling less empty about the whole thing. It would be the last song I'd ever play for a long time, until we invested in getting another piano. If we ever did, that is.

But either way, it was definitely the last song that would ever be played on _this_ piano. It deserved one last chance to be played after all. I closed my eyes and tried to think up something memorable.

_Mary Had a Little Lamb?_

_Ahaha no, that's insulting._

_What about Fur Elise? Mmmm nah, a little too cliche. I've played that one millions of times._

_Moonlight Sonata?_ Hm, it fit the moment.

I experienced a small relapse in time, from when my mother first taught me the song. I was so interested in the song just because it had the word 'Moon' in the title. But then again, I wanted to pick something of more originality.

And then I got it.

I inhaled deeply and began dancing my fingers across the ivory keys, playing one of my favorite songs. It was called Numb by Linkin Park. The song's original cover was amazing to begin with, but the piano version was something I found to be enchanting beyond words. I played the music while breathing in huge pockets of cold air, relishing the peaceful atmosphere as all my worries turned to vapor.

I'd never played this song alone. Usually, Mom was here to watch me and tell me to keep my wrists straight, or help me if I got caught up and forgot the rest of the notes. But this time was different. I hadn't played in eight months, but somehow it was nowhere near noticeable. The music wasn't my own, yet it felt like it was coming from my heart. I kept my eyes shut as I played the music by ear without making any sort of mistake. The halved moon shined down on me like heaven's broken spotlight. The feeling was amazing. I wanted it to last forever.

But alas, all great things must eventually come to an end, and the beautiful song ended all too quickly. Once I hit the final note, I felt the nostalgia overwhelm me. I pulled my tiny hands away slowly and admired the piano for the last time.

I could practically hear it speaking to me with its sugar sweet voice.

_Thank you, Rachel. Thank you for playing my music one final time. I'll miss you._

I smiled and stood up, exiting the room and headed back to my bed.

_[End of flashback]_

**(Shadow's POV)**

"You can't be serious," I mumbled in anger and annoyance. "You must've lost your mind. This is not even remotely close to being an intelligent choice. "

Dr. Eggman just grinned back deviously. "Oh come on, Shadow. What's wrong with showing the human a little trust? Letting her out of her room isn't exactly the world's biggest deal. So why are you so against it?"

I crossed my arms. "Because you said I have to watch over her and make sure she doesn't get into any trouble."

His eyes flickered mischievously. "Yes. And your point is?"

"The point is I'm not playing babysitter. I'm not going to do it. That's what surveillance cameras are for, and you have those all over the aircraft. You don't need me for that."

He let out an agitated sigh. "Really, Shadow? Refusing my orders now like a spoiled toddler? Let's be a little rational about this. I already told you that I postponed my whole Supernova Cannon idea. It will definitely resurface again, but not until I acquire the proper supplies. Nonetheless, you no longer have to lend me any of your intellect or maintenance for its construction. I have it all under control. And you're telling me you can't do this one simple thing?"

I didn't respond, and just stared at him blankly.

His mustache twitched. "You know, I don't have monitors for every camera on the Carrier. They only automatically appear on the screen if an intruder is present. And I've already programmed them to allow Rachel to walk about without them going off. So please, just keep an eye on her every now and again and make sure she doesn't find a room that isn't meant to be found. There are a lot of private things here I would like for her to never uncover. I'm not asking much, and I'm still helping you get your Chaos Emeralds. It's not like I've released that part of the bargain."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine. If you insist. Just let me know when to give her the news."

"I've already sent Bokkun off to tell her. Maybe give her some time alone for now, let her learn her way around. But sooner or later you're going to have to lay down the law."

I turned and started to leave. "Actually, I think I'll find her now and get it out of the way. To think I had it in my mind that I was finally ridden of our encounters. But no, you've decided that you won't let us stay separated. I swear, Doctor, you must find enjoyment in my misery. "

He chuckled. "That's the spirit, hedgehog. Now go and make the world a better place for Uncle Robotnik!"

I just scowled and went on my way.

**(Rachel's POV)**

The stars were so beautiful…sprinkled in front of me in a never-ending void of black, with violet ribbons of matter overlapping one another. I gazed out of the large, spacious window of Eggman's Egg Carrier in wonder, feeling the surreal emotion swallow me whole. It was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen.

Finally, after weeks of being stuck here, I got to see outer-space for myself.

For once I felt at peace. I was happy.

I could hear the piano music I played when I was a little kid echoing in the back of my head. The corners of my lips twitched in a small smile, and my eyes glued shut. I heard the melodic tunes of high notes being clicked, imitating the pattering sounds of rain fall, and then the rich, low notes that slammed down and flowed through me down to my core. A small breath escaped.

The music added to this unforgettable moment. All my life I had been so amazed with the magic and mystery of space. And here it was, laid out in front of me with its endless enchantment and beauty. This was something that I'd dreamt about for as long as I could remember. But what somewhat damaged my brightened mood was remembering how I in fact got here. By being a hostage. If I had never been kidnapped, I would have never been able to see this.

I couldn't tell if it was worth it.

Then I remembered how I got here, as in _here_ in front of the window. Apparently, Eggman decided to reward me for my 'good behavior' by allowing me free access to the entire aircraft. Completely out of no-where, but I wasn't complaining. He had the locks disabled on my door, meaning I gained a little bit of freedom.

I smirked at the memory of when Bokkun came to my room to deliver the news.

_"What? You mean you're unlocking the door?" I asked in disbelief._

_Bokkun narrowed his eyes at me. "Uhh, yes, dummy! You can roam freely around the Egg Carrier now. You don't have to be locked up in your room!"_

_"Really?" I gasped in excitement. "If you're lying I'm gonna kill you! Tell me who decided this! And why now?"_

_Bokkun slapped his palm against his forehead. "I'm not lying! I don't get why you're asking so many stupid questions! But if you must know, Eggman was the one who decided it. He said you deserved a little freedom after showing cooperation during the last mission. Now shut up and go! Be free!" he shouted dramatically, gesturing towards the hallway._

_After that, I didn't even hesitate. I bolted past him and sprinted down the halls aimlessly. I didn't know the layout of this place, and would probably get lost going one way or another. But that didn't matter. As long as I was out of that stuffy room, I would be okay. Being trapped in there like a bee in a jar was torture. I hated being in enclosed places for a large amount of time. If I had stayed in there any longer, I would've slipped into insanity._

_"Sweet glorious freedom!" I sang out, throwing my arms apart as I ran, letting the air whip against me from the speed. It was like all the clouds had lifted._

And now here I was.

But then the sinking realization seeped into the pit of my stomach. My mind was released from the high it'd been experiencing and was now racing with worry and fear.

_Oh my God. I completely forgot about Shadow._

And how could one possibly forget about him?

_Oh wow, you're stupid, Rachel. So stupid, I swear! How could you have let yourself get so happy about this and forget that your worst enemy is still right around the corner, now closer, and now you don't know when and where you'll run into him?_

But now that I stopped and thought about it, I realized that Shadow and I hadn't spoken a word to each other since we left Tragaria. I stayed in my room and he stayed...wherever. We never saw each other once, and a few days had gone by now.

Instead of thinking up new ways to verbally express my hatred for him, I had actually been searching for ways to make amends with him. No good would be done if we kept bickering. I also knew that if I pushed him too far, he wouldn't think twice about killing me. The only thing standing in between him and my death was the ties I had with my grandfather. But either way, my life wasn't something I wanted to risk. Not after nearly losing it the other day.

But I had nothing planned out for this treaty confrontation, and that's why I was so nervous. I was up a creek without a paddle. I knew I couldn't avoid him forever. But I figured Shadow was just one of those people who was impossible to talk to. I couldn't even get close to him without getting anxious. And that was why I was dreading our next encounter. I just couldn't seem to find the words that would sum up how I've basically decided to wave the white flag and entitle myself to more subtlety and cooperation. And not to mention, in some ways he deserved it himself. He did save my life twice now. Didn't I owe him that much?

_"I owe you nothing, you arrogant, senseless hedgehog!"_

I swallowed inaudibly, hearing my own voice play through my mind. I really regretted saying those words now. Why did I lack such basic common sense? My mouth developed a mind of its own when I talked to him. I guess that all these years of hating him, and then suddenly meeting him, was taking its painful toll.

I nervously combed my fingers through my dirty hair, deciding to practice what I would say out loud since I was alone.

My throat cleared. "O-Oh why hello there, Shadow. Uhm, yeah. So here's the thing. I've decided that I don't want to fight anymore...in fact I'm getting pretty sick of it. Even though you're hateful, evil, selfish..._manipulative_," I gritted my teeth before continuing. "...I really think we should try our best to make amends. Huh? What? You say you feel the same way? Well that's great then! And just know that I forgive you for all the times you frustrated me to the point that I nearly tore my hair out. And I also apologize for being such a pest when it comes to these last minute rescue missions. Anyways, I hope you've been doing good since then. This was a lovely chat, but I should get going. Later, pal!"

I laughed quietly at myself and shook my head. "Ugh, right," I remarked sarcastically. "If only it were that simple."

Then a dark voice spoke.

"...It could be."

My heart nearly exploded out of my chest from the sudden sound, and from the realization of who the voice belonged to. I jumped and spun around, letting out a short yelp as I pressed my back against the window.

"...S-Shadow!" I gasped in surprise, and a little embarrassment.

He calmly remained where he was and cocked his eyebrow. "I didn't think I would actually find you at the back of the Carrier. I've been looking for you."

He took a few steps forward, dropping his arms which had been previously crossed. "I was going to start from the back and work my way up. So it's good that you made something easier for once. Now that I found you, can I ask what you were doing?"

I subconsciously pulled on a strand of my hair shyly, darting my eyes to the side. There was no way I could lie my way out of this. The only thing I could do without making myself look even more foolish, was be honest. Of all times for Shadow to find me, it had to be now.

"I...I-I was uhh...uhm..."

Once again, for some reason, this guy was impossible to talk to.

Maybe that's more my fault than his.

"O-Okay fine. I was...I guess you could say rehearsing what I would say the next time I ran into you. You can go ahead and make fun of me. But it's not like I planned on you catching me! Basically, I'm just tired of fighting with you all the time, and, if you're the same way, I was wondering if we could stop. Starting now?"

He stared back at me dumbfounded. "Oh really, now? Well that's odd, I thought I was the arrogant senseless hedgehog. And you're the one who usually picks fights with me."

He took more steps forward. I wanted to inch back, but I was already up against the window. The closer he got, the more nervous I became. And boy was it noticeable.

He did have a point though. "That may be, but it doesn't matter. I still don't want to do it anymore," I replied.

He still kept getting closer, wearing out his blunt expression. "I see. So go ahead and enlighten me. Tell me why you've have been so incredibly hostile with me to begin with, when you don't even know me. What did the commander tell you to make you think so harshly of me? Because you should know, I wouldn't normally overlook some of the comments you've made towards me. You're lucky to be alive."

I raised my eyebrows. The hedgehog's tone didn't sound curious, or hurt. He sounded outraged. His questions came out more like demands.

I dropped my own hands and forced myself to stop cowering.

"So what, are you saying that everything my grandpa's told me isn't true? You're saying he's a liar? Did you not purposely try to intimidate him when he was a kid? Are you not a murderer, who's never cared about the lives you took? Have you never hurt anyone before? Is it not your fault that Maria died, along with all those other innocent people? Why don't you just face it, Shadow. The things you've done don't just fade away over time, no matter how much you pretend they never happened in the first place. They live with you forever. That's why I never gave you a chance. I didn't think you deserved it. The only reason I'm deciding on it now is because you've already saved me twice. It doesn't mean I like you now. I'm just being the bigger person because I knew you would never be the one to insist on making peace! And why should I? Cruel people never own up to anything, do they!"

I couldn't believe the words that were pouring out of my mouth. I could feel my adrenaline starting to pump. My breathing became heavy. But then I realized that I might have just pushed Shadow the Hedgehog over his limit.

Shadow's eyes widened and then screwed, his mouth corresponding by turning into a rigid scowl. He reared his hand back, harnessing his own energy.

"Chaos Spear!"

The yellow energy shot through me like bullets, and before I could react, I instantly flew backwards from the impact. I pounded against the window, feeling the glass do a slight crunch underneath me but not enough to crack.

The pain instantly became excruciating, trickling through me mercilessly like syrupy acid. I tried to scream, but it hurt to even open my mouth. All that came out was a loud groan, until I slid to the floor and fell onto my side. I curled up in a trembling ball and waited for the pain to cease. But it kept getting worse. It was the worst feeling I had ever experienced in my life. It was like muscle spasms, burns, needle pricks, and wasp stings all combined into one.

I pursed my lips together, praying that I would lose consciousness and not have to experience this any longer. But I couldn't. I opened my eyes to look back at Shadow. The only thing that showed on my face was the feeling of unbearable pain. I couldn't even cry. I just lay there, waiting for it to end.

Shadow crouched down next to me, not looking even the slightest bit sympathetic.

"Hopefully that put you in your place! So let's settle this right now!" he yelled.

"First of all, I am completely aware that it was my fault what happened to the humans on the ARK. I blamed myself for everything, _especially_ Maria's death, and the memories haunted me forever. I used to feel about myself the same way you feel about me. I loathed myself, I questioned why I was created, and I never stopped to prove myself worthy in some way. And you know what? I actually did. I defeated the prototype that was created along with me. If I hadn't, the ARK would've crashed into your planet. I took down Black Doom, whose blood was used for my creation, and once again saved Earth from destruction. After sixteen years, I've moved on. I put the past behind me for good. Your grandfather has done more than enough exposing of what he thinks I am, so now that it's all been said and done, why can't he do the same? More importantly, why can't _you_, someone who has nothing to do with anything?"

He didn't stop to let me answer. Not that I could anyway.

"Second of all, who is he to call me a murderer! What does he do for a living? He's the Commander of G.U.N. Killing is what they specialize in, and he's the one who orchestrates it. You think innocent people have never died because of G.U.N.? I've witnessed the soldiers myself, mindlessly attacking and killing innocent people just out of paranoia. Also, don't you think it's more their fault that people died on the Space Colony ARK than mine? They were the ones with the weapons. They're the ones who shot everybody! And now your grandfather _works_ for them. He is ther _leader_. So who do think is the_ real _monster here!"

Then he paused to add. "And, if I was as evil as you say I am, do you think I would've even bothered to save you from those guys in Westopolis? Or save you again on top of that building? No. I wouldn't have. I would've let you die without a second though. But I didn't, because believe it or not, I actually care about your safety. But no, that doesn't matter a thing to you. You just keep listening to the lies you've been raised to believe about me. I don't give a damn. But I won't tolerate any more of you and your smart-ass attitude. Kidnapping you was a mistake, and if you keep this up, it will not end well. I can assure you that."

Finally, I gained some control of my body and pushed myself off the ground with my hands, looking Shadow dead in the eye. Despite the pain that he had caused me, and was causing me now, I'd given up on defending my grandfather and his moral standards. I was done being caught in dead center. As much as I didn't want to, I was starting to believe Shadow. Everything he said made sense, and I purely hated it. I still couldn't believe this was happening. I wanted nothing more than to get out of here.

I tried to stand up fully, but kept falling back down.

"Listen Shadow..." I whispered, trying to ignore the intensity of the pain and get my final words out. I placed a hand on the window for support, catching a glimpse of the stars through the edge of my peripheral vision.

"I-I'm..."

It hurt too much. I could feel myself losing consciousness. The thought horrified me. What if Shadow proceeded with killing me while I was out? I tried to fight against my instincts, even though I had actually wanted to pass out a few moments ago. But, I never intended on dying. However, if I was going to, I wanted to find the strength to get these last few words out in the open.

"I'm sorry."

And then the blackness consumed me. All my senses went dead. The pain faded away and was replaced by a warm, numbing feeling. The last thing I remember was stumbling forward and collapsing right on the spot. But instead of hitting the floor, something caught me in mid-air. Before I could comprehend what was happening, I went out like a light.

**(Shadow's POV)**

My rage was boiling over.

I wanted to kill her.

It would've been great if I could just kill her and get it over with.

If Rachel were anyone else, she would've been dead a long time ago. Where did she get the backbone to talk to me the way she did? She knew I was dangerous. She knew better than to anger me. Did she really hate me that much that she couldn't control herself and had to degrade me with every chance she was given? Well, I hated her too. I hated her just as much if not more.

I could see she was trying with every ounce of strength left in her to stand up, and it looked like she was struggling not to pass out.

"Shadow...

I-I'm..."

Then, it was like everything left in her gave out.

"I'm sorry."

My eyes widened. I hadn't seen that coming.

_What? She's sorry? She's...apologizing?_

Her eyes closed, and she stumbled a little. She seemed to be subconsciously trying to avoid making contact with me as she fell.

It was just like sixteen years ago, back on the Space Colony ARK. When that boy, the one who was friends with Sonic, tried to talk me out of destroying Earth. I attacked him with Chaos energy, and ended up nearly killing him. But at that last moment, when he made me realize Maria's true wish, he fell forward and I held my arm out to catch him out of respect.

But this time...was a little different.

Instead of simply extending my hand and letting her fall against it, I quickly stepped into Rachel's path and reached both my arms out. She collapsed with her head against my chest, her legs dead underneath her like a doll. I would've thought she was dead herself had she not been breathing softly to reassure me otherwise. I sighed inwardly and wrapped my arms tighter around her, looking down in blurred pity.

_What did I just do._

It was slowly starting to sink in. I kept forgetting how fragile this girl was. Even though she tried to fight it, she couldn't deny her human body's weakness forever. My fury was rapidly being replaced with guilt. I had let my anger surpass my better judgment.

I started wishing that she would awaken, so I could tell her that I accept her apology, and that I too am ready to stop with all the fighting. Well damn, I couldn't remember the last time I felt this sorry for anything. This one human girl...what exactly was she doing to me?

I had one hand around the crook of her waist, and the other pressed against her back. I brought the one resting behind her upwards, and stroked her hair once.

This was definitely strange. This was unlike me.

But I wasn't going to keep questioning it. There was no other way to put it. I couldn't keep hurting Rachel like I just did. I was tired of feeling the disgusting guilt and sympathy. I brought her here against her will, so it should probably be my job to make sure she's protected. If she wanted to keep hating me after this, then so be it. But I knew she originally wanted to make peace, and surprisingly, that was good enough for me.

I readjusted my hands and lifted her up to carry her, just like I had when we were fleeing the city in Tragaria. Except this time, she wasn't holding onto me. She lay limply in my arms with her neck hanging to the side.

I turned and left the giant window behind us, en route to take Rachel back to her room.

_I wonder why she was here in the first place. My guess is to look at the stars? Not that there's anything special about them...or do I only feel that way because I see them all the time. Perhaps this was something of a big deal to her. I believe I just ruined the experience._

Once we were down the hall from B-12, I stopped when I saw Bokkun hovering around her open door. He appeared to be waiting for her.

Great. If he saw me walking in with her like this, there would definitely be some questions, and he'd more than likely go to tell Dr. Eggman afterwards. The last thing I needed was people asking me questions about what happened. I didn't want to explain.

So before I got any closer, I took a different route and descended down a new hallway...the one that led to my room.

Hopefully, I could get her back to her own room before she woke up. I just needed to wait for Bokkun to give up and leave.

My room was Y-7. It was extremely far from the B-sectioned rooms. Once we reached mine, I looked left and right to make sure no one was around to see. I entered the access code on the keyboard, and the door slid open to reveal my usual dank, black room. Every room here looked the exact same, except in mine all the furniture was re-arranged, and the blankets on the bed were thicker, courtesy of me.

I brought Rachel to the bed, stretching one arm out to peel the blankets back, and carefully laid her down on the mattress. I made sure her head was propped on the pillow, and then pulled the blankets back over her weakened body. She let out a small sigh as soon as she was completely tucked in, turning over slightly and burying her head into the black pillow cover.

I couldn't help but stare back at her. Despite what happened not too long ago, she looked very peaceful when she was asleep.

Before I could stop myself, I found that I was I rubbing her shoulder softly. And as soon as I realized how touchy I was getting, I dipped my head and growled in abnormal shame.

"Look, I'm sorry too, Rachel," I whispered. "I'm…sorry too."

I lifted my hand, turned, and left the room.

Once I exited the doorway, and re-entered the code so that the door shut, I turned and came face to face with Bokkun.

The surprise caused me to step back.

"Woah! What are you doing here!" I asked him.

He crossed his arms suspiciously, raising an eyebrow at me. "Uhhh Shadow? What were you doing in your room?"

I cocked a brow at him. He was answering my question with a question. But it's not like he could've seen me carrying Rachel. I made sure that no one was around.

"Well, it is my _room_. I tend to go in there every now and again, you fool."

Bokkun tilted his head, seemingly not buying my story. My lying could not have been that obvious.

"Right..." he said. "Anyways, I've been looking for Rachel. Have you seen her anywhere?"

My stomach knotted. Fate was not on my side today.

"No. I was looking for her earlier, but I couldn't find her. I…I didn't check the back of the Egg Carrier though," I said quickly, hoping that he would go away after that.

He shrugged and started to fly off. "Okay fine. I'll go look some more then! I haven't even checked the bathroom areas yet. She always said she hated that I had to escort her when nature called, so maybe she's hiding in there alone."

He looked back. "Oh and by the way, do you remember Decoe and Bocoe? Dr. Eggman's robot partners that he shut down a few years ago? All I needed was to tell Rachel that they are going to be reprogrammed, a.k.a. brought back from the dead. So they will be working, walking, and sadly, talking again soon. Dr. Eggman thought she needed to know. Man, I'm actually really excited too! I missed those idiots! Now I won't be alone all the time!"

My blinked as I watched him leave. Decoe and Bocoe? I then remembered who he was talking about, the gold and silver robots, and bit back a scowl.

Well isn't that spectacular. Now I have more headaches to deal with. I really should've put more thought into this bargain with Eggman. It wasn't turning out as smoothly as I planned it would at all.

I then dropped my hard-edged frown, and smirked to myself._ Maybe, that isn't such a bad thing. It's definitely more interesting than I predicted._

I looked back towards my door before walking off. _And maybe, Rachel isn't all that bad. I might be able to get used to her._

_Maybe._

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**(A/N) Sorry that I took so long to update! I got pretty far in the chapter, then decided to re-write it. Originally, Shadow and Rachel were going to just shake hands and move on. But then I remembered...this is a Drama story. Everybody loves drama :P**

**And after reading the reviews, I need to clear some things up.**

**1. I understand that people don't think a relationship between Rachel and Shadow will work out because of height issues. But just a small addition, I'm aware of how short Shadow is. I've made all the anthros in the story taller than normal. They aren't as tall as humans, but are still a bit taller than they are in games, just to go along with the fact that some time HAS passed now. **

**2. There was a review about Bokkun's comment that he made in Chapter 15 about Shadow and Rachel's relationship being too forward. And I agree! Let's just say, that might happen more often than it should. Don't be angry, but I'm aiming for Bokkun to be that annoying character who makes situations awkward. Haha.**

**3. I remember a while back, someone made a review about being glad that Bokkun was in the story, and that it'd be great if Decoe and Bocoe were in it too. I originally planned on bringing them in the story, and they will have some witty dialogue. They should appear in the next chapter.**

**4.**** This is a major pointer. That's why I underlined the 4. Before any of you get too excited, Rachel will NOT become an anthro/mobian. She will stay human throughout the entire story. I know making her a cat or something would make her and Shadow have an easier chance of romance, but I'm up for a challenge. Besides, I'm not creative enough to decide how she does become an anthro and what she'll look like. I'm sorry if that disappoints anyone. If it helps, I will write other stories with no humans. You could check those out when they come around.**

**5. I read every single one of your reviews. If you have a question, leave it in a review and I'll answer it. I'm sorry for blabbing so much. This is one heck of an author's note. Hopefully some of these things will help you to know what to expect. But I have everything set and stone. I haven't been flamed yet, but if I am just because of the whole human x hedgehog ordeal, here's the thing. It's a _story_, _my_ story to be specific, and sorry but I don't really care if someone doesn't like it because they think the pairing is strange or gross. Have an open mind! That's what I'm doing, and it doesn't hurt. If it bothers you, then don't read. I don't plan on changing anything to please rude people. **

**Thanks, have a nice day!**


	17. Bear Hugs and French Alien Clubs

**Chapter Revised [x]**

* * *

><p><strong>(Nobody's POV)<strong>

"Hello, and welcome to Channel 6 Station Square News at 9:00. I'm Thomas Fortman, your News host, here with more information on the shocking coverage that was taken a few weeks ago, during an assault that took place on a subway train headed from Westopolis to Mystic Ruins. On July 20th, we all found out about the incident, now nationally known as the Train 41 Event, where it appeared that a Sonic the Hedgehog doppelganger crashed through the window of Train 41, holding all the passengers at gun-point, and ended up kidnapping a young girl off the train who has been identified as Rachel Tower-"

_A picture taken from Rachel's yearbook displayed._

"-G.U.N. Commander Abraham Tower's grand-daughter. Her whereabouts are currently unknown.

One of the passengers, a twenty-two year old woman named Harmony Stephens, captured footage of the attack via a hidden cell-phone camera video. The video shows the mysterious hedgehog demanding to know the location of a man under the surname Tower, the father of Rachel Tower, who, unbeknownst to the victims, was aboard the train in another cargo. The hedgehog proceeds with capturing Ms. Tower and seemingly disappearing into thin air using none other than a Chaos Emerald. Here's the footage, and we must warn you that it is a little graphic, and might not be suitable for anyone under the age of fourteen. Viewer discretion is advised."

_A video with medium quality played, showing a shaky cam aimed at the strange hedgehog as he eyed all the passengers._

_An unknown man rises from his seat and faces the hedgehog._ "Hey look buddy. There's no need to hurt these people. We're all innocent here. Whatever it is you're after, we can help you get it without all the commotion. Just put the gun down and let's try to be rational."

_The hedgehog frowned._ "You'd be wise to shut up and sit down. Or else you'll be sorry."

_The unknown man chuckled._ "I've taken a bullet before, buddy. I ain't gonna get all rowled up over some fur ball with a bad attitude. So come on, let's be mature about this."

_Everyone gasped._

_The hedgehog growled at him._ "Suit yourself. You may know what it's like to get shot, but now you'll see what it's like to be impaled by the power of Chaos. Chaos Spear!" _He then sent strange yellow energy darting through the man._

_The unknown man screams, flies backwards, and immediately goes unconscious. Everyone starts shouting in fear._

_The hedgehog looked back at the passengers._ "I'm looking for a man under the name of 'Tower'.

_The woman holding the camera, otherwise known as Harmony Stephens, spoke up._ "W-We d-d-d-don't k-know anyone named T-T-Tower. W-What d-do you w-w-want with him?"

_And now the hedgehog flashed her a look of annoyance._ "...That's none of your business." _He then turned and began heading for the door to the cargo over._

_After a few moments, Rachel Tower shot out of her seat. Her voice built from a whisper to a desperate cry._ "Please, don't do this...Please...STOP IT SHADOW!"

_The hedgehog turned, studying Rachel Tower before walking over to her and looking her up and down curiously._ "It's you."

_Rachel stammered out a reply._ "My...my surname is Tower. I'm the G.U.N. Commander's granddaughter."

_The hedgehog paused, then grinned evilly and lunged at Rachel, grabbing her arm._

_Rachel Tower gasped, and after putting up a struggle, began screaming. The other passengers resumed panicking as well._

_A man jumped up and tried to stop the hedgehog, only to get shot by him in the process. The bullet soared through his shoulder. The sound of the gunshot was followed by many screams and wails for help. The camera was shoved down in fear, and then it cuts off into black._

_And now the camera was back on Thomas Fortman, who appeared thoroughly disturbed by the footage himself._

"Besides the two severely injured men on Train 41 that both wish to remain anonymous for their own safety, no one was actually killed aboard the subway, and none have been reported dead or harmed since. The video has been viewed widely on the internet and all over the world, and many controversies over it have begun to disperse. But apparently no one can answer the question that haunts everyone at this point. Who was that hedgehog? And where is he now?

Sources have tried contacting Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends to see if they themselves understood what was going on, seeing that the perpetrator was an anthromorphic hedgehog like Sonic himself. But their lines are unreachable. We sent reporters to investigate their private home in Station Square, and found that it was completely empty. So therefore, the mystery continued without answers.

Well, luckily we are now able to answer most of your questions after an interview in Westopolis with Commander Tower himself. He appears to be the only one who knows the hedgehog's identity, and he can tell you what to expect after this other-worldly intruder disrupted our peace."

_Footage from the interview rolled, showing a distraught Abraham Tower standing stiffly outside the Westopolis Subway Station. His face was hard and unforgiving, and he was dressed in his work attire)_

_The interviewer began asking questions._ "Commander Tower, sir, do you know the name of the hedgehog that attacked the passengers of Train 41? The same hedgehog that also kidnapped your grand-daughter?"

_Tower growled angrily._ "Yes. As a matter of fact I do. His name is Shadow the Hedgehog, and this is not his first time on Earth. He was here sixteen years ago when military buildings were being destroyed, and banks were being robbed of the Chaos Emeralds, where everyone mistook him for Sonic. He's the one who assisted Dr. Eggman in blowing up the moon, the night my grand-daughter was born. He also aided the Black Arms when they invaded Earth, before betraying them and going against their leader, Black Doom, and destroying the comet that brought them upon us. But I'm here to reveal some international secrets to the public only for the sake of having everyone's awareness in this ongoing war against that mistake of a creation, and for the sake of my dear Rachel... One of them is, the alien Black Doom is actually Shadow the Hedgehog's surrogate father. Shadow was made with Black Doom's blood. In fact, I witnessed Shadow's creation myself, sixty six years ago aboard the Space Colony ARK."

_The male interviewer couldn't help but gasp._ "What? You were a passenger on the Space Colony ARK? The first space colony to ever orbit Earth? I thought it was presumed that everyone aboard the ARK died after G.U.N. soldiers came and killed anybody involved in...in that one classified project by Proffesor Gerald Robotnik."

_Tower then looked away from the interviewer and stared off into the distance._ "Yes..._Project Shadow_...

Well, I did survive. And what's worse, is I knew Shadow the Hedgehog more than a lot of people on the ARK did, and they died for simply knowing about the project while I lived on. Shadow has always been the way he is now. He was intimidating, ruthless...his existence was highly unneeded. It was Shadow's fault what happened to the humans on the ARK. They should have destroyed him when they had the chance...or no..._I_ should've destroyed him when I had the chance. Then maybe we wouldn't be where we are now."

_The interviewer continued._ "So where could _he_ be right now? Have you any idea?"

"With Shadow's ability to use Chaos Control, he could be virtually anywhere. That's how he disappeared off the train, by warping with the Chaos Emerald. How he has one, I don't know. He might not even be on Earth anymore, and that's what disturbs me the most. But if he genuinely wants something, and was originally after my son and now has my grand-daughter, I am certainly his primary target. He should be back, but this time he won't catch us off-guard."

_The interviewer only sighed._ "...I see. That's actually very comforting, sir. To know that you'll do your best to protect our nation. Well is there anything you would like to say to this Shadow the Hedgehog character on camera? Any messages you might have for him? What about your grand-daughter?"

_Tower's face shifted into a hard, icy glare. His brown and green eyes faced the camera and his teeth gritted._ "Shadow. I don't know where you are, or what it is you want. But, know this. I will find you, even if it means to die trying. You can't hide from me forever. I'll find you and kill you myself, just like I should've done many years ago. You will not go on continuing to terrorize innocent people. You are done with destroying my life, taking away the family I had as a child, and the family I have now as a grown man. I will not rest until Rachel is home safe, and the synthetic blood that flows through your veins runs cold."

_He then softened his expression, looking like he was on the sudden brink of tears._ "And Rachel...I honestly can't tell you how sorry I am that this had to happen. Watching that video and seeing your frightened face truly breaks my heart. I'll bring you back home, sweetheart. I can only imagine how scared you are, and it kills me inside just thinking of the torture you have to endure at this very moment. You'll be home soon, I promise. Your mother and father miss you very much. Emma and Travis never stop asking about you. I won't allow myself to lose you like this. Just hang in there."

_A tear then escaped his green eye and traveled down his cheek._ "...I love you very much, Rachel. Don't give up fighting."

_He then took in a breath cut up by sobs._

"Please, don't give up."

_And then the camera faded to static._

**(Rachel's POV)**

_"Rachel...?..."_

The sound of my own name bounced around in my skull, bringing me out of the dark waters of sleep. I tossed and turned while half-awake, scrunching my closed eyelids until they creased into thin, lashed lines. I thought I had just heard someone speaking to me. It sounded something along the lines of a young female's voice.

My own voice forced itself out of my throat. "...Hm...?"

The voice breathed out a long exhale. _"...Rachel..."_

My eyes slowly fluttered open, peering directly ahead. "Wh...s...thr..." I mumbled, struggling to speak clearly. What I meant to say was, 'Who's there', because I couldn't see anything for myself. My surroundings were pitch black. But I could've sworn that I sensed a presence of some sort looming over me.

The voice then laughed softly, and for a moment I thought I felt something graze the side of my face. It was a smooth, ghostly touch seemed to be coming from a hand, the way it was pieced apart by fingers. I tried to lift my own hand up and feel it, but every last limb in my body remained paralyzed.

_"Wake up, Rachel...you don't have to be afraid anymore...everything will be okay..."_

I bit my tongue. _Okay I may be totally lost and confused at the moment, but I am definitely not afraid!_

Suddenly, my energy fully came back to me, and my consciousness was revived. My eyes flew open and I sat up straight.

"Wha-?" I choked out, looking frantically in every direction for the person who had been speaking to me. But the room was completely empty, and not to mention, completely dark. I looked down and saw I was lying in bed. My muscles began to throb as the feeling reflourished back to them. I still felt drained of my usual strength. I clutched my head just as it managed to curdle over with dizziness.

_Just what the heck was that all about? Was I imagining someone talking to me? I'm starting to go crazy, aren't I._

I brushed my fingers across my cheekbone, where the mysterious owner of the voice supposedly touched my skin. If it had been my imagination, how could I have physically felt anything? This was getting too weird for me to comprehend.

I then brought my hand down and squinted my eyes through the blackness of the room.

_And when exactly did I get back to my room? I have no recollection of returning._

My mind was so fuzzy. I couldn't remember a single thing.

But then I paused and observed the sheets on the bed more closely, running my hand along the fabric. They didn't feel the same as the thin blankets I slept with every day and night. These were much plumper, and even felt like a different texture. In fact the whole atmosphere of the room was unfamiliar.

I tried to reach out towards the bedside and turn the lamp on to get a better look, but came into contact with nothing but air.

"What in the world?" I asked out loud, waving my hand through the empty space. Apparently, the bedside just disappeared. I turned my neck in the opposite direction and saw that the bedside was on…well…the other side of the bed. For some reason, my heart began to pound, until it was overworked and made my body-heat sky rocket.

_This..._

_This is not my room...is it._

My eyebrows turned up in uncertainty as I hugged myself, falling into a tremble.

_What happened to me? Where am I right now? And why do I feel so much weaker than usual?_

"Raaaa-chel!" I heard Bokkun's sing-song voice yell from outside the door, cutting me away from my anxiety-dipped thoughts. I instantly noticed that his voice wasn't holding still in one place. It sounded like he was flying past the door. "Rachel!" he screeched louder as he diminished. "Where in the world are you?"

I gasped. Oh, thank God, Bokkun's here! I never thought I'd be happy to hear his voice. Maybe he could explain what was happening to me. But either way, having his company was better than being cold, confused, and scared in the dark of a stranger's room. In fact, that voice was right. I was afraid after all.

Without thinking, I ripped the blankets off of me and sprinted to the door. My vision went clouding into a purple-dotted head rush. My body was burning from head to toe, but I ignored it and didn't allow it to slow me down even for a second. However to my dismay, when I reached the door, it didn't open automatically when I came close to it, meaning I was locked in from the outside. I took my fist and started desperately ramming it against the cold steel.

"Bokkun! Hello, can you hear me? I'm in here!" I hollered, hearing my voice crack. My throat was dry and felt a tad swollen.

Only seconds after I called him, the keyboard outside beeped and the door slid open, and there he was in front of me, looking more puzzled than relieved to have finally found me.

"Rachel? What were you doing in Sha-"

"BOKKUN!" I exclaimed happily, cutting him off. Without thinking, I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling his little figure against my chest and squeezed him in a hug. He yelped in surprise right before I cut him off by enveloping him completely, pressing his face into the front of my shirt. I giggled lightly with relief. For some reason, I was extremely glad to see him.

He was _so_ warm. It was like hugging a heated stuffed animal, and the intimacy was highly pleasing. I was used to hugging loved ones every day, and after that had been taken away, even hugging _him_ was like an oasis of comfort. I could feel one of the jesters on his head poking my collarbone, but it didn't hurt, and I didn't mind at all. I was just happy that he was here, and that he was able to get me out of that unknown room. Again, maybe he had some answers.

I wasn't squeezing him enough for him to lose his breath, so instead of him choking and gagging, he curiously brought his arm around my back, half-heartedly returning my hug. He mumbled against my clothes a little before pulling his head back and breathing deeply. "Uhuh, it's good to see you too I guess?" he said.

I then caught up with my actions and released him, pulling myself away shamefully. I needed better self-control, no doubt.

"Right. Uh, sorry 'bout all that..." I mumbled, rubbing the back of my head awkwardly. Normally, this little dude irritated me to great extremes. But this time, seeing him was a fantastic feeling. A sense of normality, if you will. I cleared my foggy throat and proceeded with opening my mouth to speak.

"Uhm, Bokkun...can you tell me what's going on here? I think I'm having some selective amnesia here. I can't remember anything past the point of you telling me that I could walk around the Egg Carrier freely. I'm trying my hardest, but it's still all a big blur. And I feel a little sick too. What part of the Carrier are we in?

Bokkun blinked twice, still seemingly dazed from my out-of-nowhere hug. But then he twisted his face into a disbelieving expression. "A-Are you kidding me! No, it doesn't work that way! I'll answer your questions when you answer mine!"

He stopped and breathed in sharply through his nose, stiffening his posture in the air, and tried to collect himself. "Oh, my bad. Am I being too over the top? Then allow me to nicely, calmly, and delicately ask you..."

He then blew up, leaping dangerously close so that we were nose to nose.

"WHERE THE HECK HAVE YOU BEEN? I'VE BEEN LOOKING ALL OVER FOR YOU! YOU WEREN'T IN YOUR ROOM, THE BATHROOM, THE CONTROLS ROOM...I THOUGHT YOU DIED OR SOMETHING! MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHAT WERE YOU DOING IN _SHADOW'S_ ROOM!"

I jumped back from his sudden outburst, holding my hands up to calm him down. "Woah, hold up. Is there some good reason why you were looking for me? And..."

I craned my neck back towards the open doorway. My mouth fell open involuntarily.

"...What do you mean...Shadow's...room...?"

_No way._

Instead of being disturbed by the realization that I had been in Shadow's room...

in...Shadow's bed...

the memories of what had led up to me getting there flooded back into my mind without warning.

I remembered looking out the window, gazing at the celestials of outer-space, and reminiscing about playing the piano when I was younger. I had eventually decided that I wanted to end the pointless rivalry between me and Shadow, seeing as it was going nowhere, and then recited what I would say to him out loud. Shadow caught me, leaving me no other choice than to come clean and explain myself. Somehow, it led to me insulting Shadow all over again, which was purely unintentional. By the time I realized I had gone too far, it was too late. He launched a Chaos Spear at me.

I shuddered after remembering that part. It hurt to even think about the pain that it caused me. But that would explain the murkiness I was feeling right now. It was probably the aftermath.

I then remembered that while I was laying on the ground in agony, Shadow started yelling at me, telling me all these things that contrasted with everything I believed in...everything I had been raised to know. They went against every story my grandpa had told me about his experiences on the ARK. And what's worse, is I couldn't help but agree with Shadow's point of view. He really did make me see his side of it, whether I liked it or not.

I believe I went unconscious after that. And I didn't hit the ground. Something caught me.

No..._he_ caught me.

My hand flew over my mouth.

_It...was Shadow. He caught me before I fell, and he brought me to his room._

I wasn't so sure if the idea scared me, but it definitely freaked me out. When did Shadow start to care? I thought he was going to kill me once I passed out! Sadly, I had more questions now than I did before.

But how was I going to explain all this to Bokkun? I couldn't just rat Shadow out for attacking me. If he was generous enough to haul me across the Egg Carrier to his room and let me sleep in his bed, I felt I should express some gratitude by covering for him. So I had to think up a lie quickly.

"O-Oh!" I shouted with false surprise. "I remember everything now! I...uhm...I hit my head on the window at the back of the ship. Yeah…I was looking out at the stars, it was all nice and dandy, and then…hah-stupid me!...I fell and nearly cracked my skull on the glass."

Instead of cracking skulls, I mentally face palmed. I was making myself look so idiotic. This better be worth it in the end.

"My guess is Shadow must've found me and brought me back to his room to recover," I concluded.

Bokkun lifted an eyebrow. "Oh really now? If that did happen, then why didn't he just bring you back to your own room?"

My eyes widened and shifted wildly in every direction, as I tried to come up with a fast fib. But nothing believable came to mind. I found myself sighing in defeat.

"I honestly have no clue..." I stated truthfully. "Maybe because he didn't want you to find me and accuse him of anything. I mean you might've been suspicious and told Eggman or something. I don't know."

Speaking of suspicious, Bokkun appeared very skeptical of my story. He squinted his yellow eyes at me. "Uh-huh. And what exactly could I accuse him of? You look perfectly fine for someone that nearly cracked their skull on a window. Well...besides the fact that you got some crazy bed-head going on. But that can't mean anything, can it?"

I bit the edge of my lip nervously while combing out my hair with my fingers. I definitely didn't feel 'perfectly fine', but I guess it wasn't visible on the outside. I pried my hand away from my hair and rested it on my forehead. "Right. Well it's...it's uh...more of an internal thing really. I have a massive headache right now, not that you can tell."

But he still didn't look like he was buying it. I glared at him. Really, did he have to be so damn observant? What does he think happened?

Bokkun shook his head disbelievingly. "Whatever. I don't really care anymore. I won't say anything to Eggman. You have my word."

I smiled and breathed out, releasing all my tension. Good. At least I was somewhat off the hook.

Bokkun's childish grin returned and he turned to fly away, but not before moving sideways to look back at me. "Anyways, I've been trying to find you so I can introduce you to my friends, Decoe and Bocoe!"

I furrowed my eyebrows at him. "What? You have friends?"

He bore his teeth at me furiously. "Hey! That's NOT funny!"

I stopped and waved my hands back and forth quickly. "No, I didn't mean it like it! I meant here, on the Egg Carrier. I thought you, Eggman, Shadow and I were the only ones here."

Bokkun dropped his scowl and smiled genuinely. "Oh! Well you were wrong."

He then descended down the halls. "Come on, I'll introduce ya! Follow me twerp!"

I rolled my eyes with a mild smirk and treaded after him. But in the back of my mind, I couldn't stop wondering...

_What brought Shadow to help me after causing me so much turmoil. And where is he right now anyway...?_

**(Shadow's POV)**

I walked alongside Dr. Eggman quietly, before turning around and taking a good look at the Egg Carrier, which now sat far off in the distance, right underneath the melting colors of a red and blue sunset. I breathed in almost silently at the view.

Rachel was inside the Carrier. All I could do now was hope she wouldn't wake up until I returned. My Chaos Spears were known to keep humans unconscious for quite some time. So maybe we could get the Chaos Emerald and be back before she even noticed we left.

Still, the guilt was biting at me hard. I couldn't seem to swipe away the images of her getting hit by the Chaos Spear, slamming against the window so hard that it actually produced some sickening sound, and then falling down. Then she actually forced herself to get back up and mutter an apology to me, after all that, right before fainting into my arms.

I shook my head clear of all thoughts and turned back around, facing the giant club in front of us. Yes, this planet had a club. It wasn't completely deserted.

The exterior of the building was made of what could only be described as black tile, with neon lights hanging off the edges. Music and laughter could be heard inside.

This planet we were on, known as Rozorus, was basically a small planet with an environment that looked humid and warm to the naked eye, but in actuality it was dry and cold. The air was practically frozen, seeping through my fur and nibbling at my skin. But the temperature didn't conflict with me in the slightest.

According to Dr. Eggman's trackers, a Chaos Emerald was inside this club. Who was in possession of it, we had yet to find out. But I knew one thing for sure. I wasn't leaving without it.

Dr. Eggman craned his chubby head up towards the sign on the outside of the club. It read:

**Club de la Glace S Che**

in big, exaggerated letters.

I lifted an eyebrow. "What do you think that says?" I inquired. "Isn't that a language from Earth? The letters look like something from a human alphabet."

Dr. Eggman shrugged. "I'm about to find out."

He then pulled a translator out of the pocket on his red jumpsuit, scanning the sign's slogan with a lens on the front. A few green lights on the small device lit up before it emitted a short beep. He fixated his glasses on the screen before pulling his face away.

"It's in French," he said, almost in disbelief. "And in English it reads, Club of Dry Ice."

I crossed my arms and scanned the outside of the place once more. "Dry Ice, huh. Hm. Sounds nicer in French."

I then started walking towards the entrance.

Right before I passed, Dr. Eggman gasped and held his hand out towards me. "Shadow, what are you doing? You can't just go barging in like that! We don't know what the people are like here. They could kill you without a second thought!"

I frowned, not slowing my pace down even a little as I continued towards the black metal door that led inside. Once I reached it, my fingers curled around the handlebar.

"Hmph. I'd like to see them try."

I then tightened my grip and pushed the door in, opening it all the way, breaking the barrier between serene silence and the wild music, and proceeded with making my entry.

The mission for the fourth Emerald had officially begun.

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**(A/N) My goodness, I cannot apologize enough for not updating faster. My laptop charger broke, so the battery died and I couldn't revive it. Then we ordered a new charger, but it turns out the battery is old and out of juice anyway. It needs to be replaced. A new one should get here Wednesday -.-**

**I have been using my parents' computer, and it was hard to ever find time to write because they ALWAYS need it...and their mouse is retarded and clicks, double clicks, and highlights things when I don't even try to. I hate it. I miss my laptop like nobody could ever understand.**

**So yes, this is considered somewhat of a cliffhanger. Not too suspenseful, but oh well. I'm sowwy. ****_Review por favor!_**

**And another thing, I appreciate everyone who has tried to give me ideas for the story, but really I don't need anybody's help. Save them for your own stories! I don't use ideas that aren't my own, sorry. But again, I really appreciate the support :)**

**In response to the reviews:**

**I'm glad you guys are okay with me keeping Rachel human. I didn't want any conflicts to arise o.O And I must say I'm very surprised with how accepting you are of the human x hedgehog thing, because I remember reading Sonic and Elise stories and everyone was hatin' and flamin', and this was way before I started my story and it kind of scared me.**

**But...I don't care anymore. Lawls.**

**And one legitimate question that was asked, will Rachel save Shadow later? Uhh, I don't want to spoil anything. But in some ways, yes she will. She's been quite a damsel lately, but as far as my mind knows pertaining to this story, the tables will turn.**

**Sorry that Decoe and Bocoe weren't here yet. I promise they will be next chapter! I was in a rush.**

**I agree, human-turned-anthro stories are very weird...never could get into them myself. Especially when a Sonic character has no problem with them being a changed species and goes ahead with making a move on them without even batting an eye.**

**And honestly, whether Eggman is trying to set Shadow and Rachel up, I haven't decided that for myself yet xD I'm leaning towards no, even if it may seem that way. But that's funny though!**

**I'm sorry, but I've officially made up my mind. Shadow and Rachel will become MORE than friends. Hence the romance category. Sorry sorry, and sorry some more. But with everything I'm leading up to, it would be boring for them just to end up as friends in my opion. Or at least, I would make it boring somehow T.T I'm still gonna make this a romance. Or going to attempt to at least. I love a good challenge.**

**Thanks again everyone!**


	18. Respirer

**Chapter Revised [x]**

* * *

><p><strong>(Rachel's POV)<strong>

To my amazement, Bokkun wasn't kidding. He really did have friends for me to meet. And low and behold, they weren't just any regular friends either. They were freaking robots!

I gawked curiously at the two robots standing in front of me. One was tall, lanky, and suited in golden colored metal, while the other was short and stumpy, and sported metal that was silver colored. They both had big, metallic eyes that held animated expressions, and from what I could gather, they possessed human qualities that enabled them to walk, talk, and react like humans. It was incredibly surreal.

I had never met robots this advanced before. I didn't even know these kind of robots existed anywhere in the world. But then again, we were outside _my_ world. So I should learn to expect the unexpected.

But it was almost like these two were real people! I was more excited than I wanted to admit. And that was probably influenced by the fact that I lived a completely normal life before coming here. It was such a gigantic leap into scientific magnificence. I never thought I would get the chance to experience something this incredible.

Bokkun gestured towards his robot friends. "See? There you have it! I told you I was telling the truth! I can't believe you doubted me," he pouted.

I retorted by rolling my eyes playfully and flashing a giddy smirk, keeping my attention locked on the two humanoid robots. I noticed the silver one appeared normal and completely at ease, while the gold one looked like he was anxious...and even more excited than me at the moment, which I didn't think was possible. He stood bouncing in his steps, rattling the screws wired into his framework and stared at me in a star-struck manner. I ignored his odd behavior and put a smile out on display, pushing everything that had taken place not too long ago to the back of my mind.

"Hi. You must be Decoe and Bocoe," I stated, keeping my tone casual.

The silver one lifted his metal-linked hand upwards, aiming his thumb at himself and his gold comrade. "Indeed we are! I'm Bocoe, and this here is Decoe," he said in a hollow, processed robot voice that was still able to carry a tone. "And I'm guessing that you're-"

"So...so...so _adorable_!" The gold one, who I presumed was Decoe, finished for him, visibly exploding with a strange newfound happiness. Bocoe stopped and looked at him weirdly, while I lifted an eyebrow. _Did he just say I was adorable?_

"Er come again?" was all I could spit out.

He jumped forward, clamping his hand around mine and shaking it up and down vigorously. I made a small noise out of surprise.

"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you! Your name's Rachel, right?" he asked me.

I nodded quickly, almost in sync with his swift arm movements as he jerked my hand vertically nonstop.

"Yes, Rachel!" he went on. "I apologize for being so excited. Very very sorry. You must excuse me. It's been a while since I've been fully functioning, and I haven't seen a female in ages! Let alone a _human girl_! Truly remarkable! Plus I couldn't help but notice that you look like you're really nice. I was expecting someone fierce and mean-looking. But you...you seem sweet as can be!"

I widened my eyes at him before giggling. I was a little confused as to why he expected me to look mean, but the flattery was too great for me to care. And I thought meeting robots was something cool. He himself seemed to be getting a kick out of the fact that I was human, and a girl. I suddenly became extremely kind, like a celebrity greeting a fan.

"Oh, well thanks, Decoe. That's nice of you to say."

Decoe breathed out dreamily, still holding my hand as they both dropped from movement. But then Bocoe came from the side and whacked him upside the head, snapping him out of his awe-induced trance.

"Decoe, you're making a fool out of yourself. Why don't you get it together!"

Decoe released my hand, and I quickly brought it back to my side. He gripped his head and grunted in pain. "Hey! Don't whack on me, you bag of bolts!"

Bocoe sneered at him. "What are you gonna do about it, screws for brains?"

"Loose gears!"

"Heh. _Jammed_ gears!"

"Hunk-a-junk!"

"Circuit buster!"

"Service impaired!"

"Wire-tangled!"

"CHUNKY!"

Bocoe gasped, looking stricken with horror. "HUH! D-Did you just call me chunky...?"

His hurt look then morphed into an expression of unquenchable rage. "That's it! You went too far that time!" he exclaimed, banging his head up against Decoe's forehead. The two glared at each other competitively, like a pair of rams wrestling their horns for dominance.

It took a second to bubble inside, but before I could stop myself, I doubled over and let out loud gasps of laughter at the scene, unable to contain it any longer. It'd been about two minutes since I met these guys, and I liked them already. They were pretty hilarious. A great relief to all the tension and frustration that I'd been experiencing since I got here.

I hadn't laughed in forever, and boy did it feel good. My own laughter was like music to my ears. My chest heaved as I lifted my head to look back at the bickering robots, who now had turned their gaze confusingly in my direction.

I grinned, realizing why the sight was so satisfying of me. But then I felt a twinge of homesickness and my smile faltered.

They reminded me of my twin siblings, Emma and Travis. The way they argued like two opposites, when really they were alike in nearly every way. It made me miss my brother and sister even more than I already had, and I sighed sadly before masking the sudden depression.

Bokkun flew in between Decoe and Bocoe in order to separate them. "Ladies, ladies, let's break this up," he teased. "You're making a horrible impression on Rachel here."

I chuckled while wiping away some of the moist residue under my eyes. They had started to water from laughing so hard, and maybe even a few tears had emerged from thinking about my brother and sister again.

"Oh no. It's actually the opposite, Bokkun. Believe it or not, these two gave me the first real laugh since...I don't even remember when," I corrected him.

Decoe and Bocoe lost their hard expressions, seemingly smiling, even though they lacked mouths. "Good! We enjoy making people happy. We never seem to be able to please the Doctor," said Decoe.

Bocoe then stepped in. "It's true. He's a hard nut to crack, or better yet, a tough rag to ring."

He then paused. "Hey! That reminds me, we were meaning to congratulate you!"

I paused and stared at him curiously. "Oh yeah? For what exactly?"

They both jumped forward simultaneously.

"For what you did!" they declared in unison.

Decoe pointed at me. "Dr. Eggman told us about how you nearly strangled him the day you got here! It was unbelievably shocking to hear, but it's also unbelievably great!"

Bocoe joined in. "Yeah! When he told us, we both had a hard time believing it. But alas, it's true after all! We pretended to be sympathetic when he told us. We acted like we were all sad, remorseful, like we felt sorry or something. But actually, we were amazed! You're like our hero!"

"You did what we've wanted to do for years, only mere seconds after meeting him! We bow before you," Decoe said, dipping the upper part of his body downward in a bow. It was hard to depict whether he was joking or being serious.

My face began to flush. I had forgotten all about the incident where I nearly choked Eggman to death. But apparently, Eggman hadn't. Looking back now, I felt as though I might have taken things a bit out of proportion, despite how heroic these two were making it sound.

"O-Oh. Well, thanks, you guys. But it's nothing to be proud of, honestly," I admitted shamefully.

Bocoe digressed. "No, you're wrong! You should be very proud! Not everyone is able to bring themselves to do something like that to the Doctor."

Decoe laughed alongside him. "Exactly! That's why I thought you wouldn't look as kind as you do. I thought you would have to be really scary and hostile to do something like that. But I was wrong! You got guts, kid. It was really brave."

My mouth dropped in an epiphany. They really looked up to me just because I had a panic attack and attempted to strangle some chubby scientist? Really, I was only going along with my instincts when that happened. I wasn't trying to be cool or rebellious. It just happened. Their admiration was weird...yet kind of flattering. I giggled with an open-mouthed grin.

Bokkun, who was hovering between the two, stopped and frowned at me, his eyes traveling down to my mid-section area. "Wait a second. Rachel. What's that all over your shirt?"

I dropped my smile and furrowed my eyes at him, looking down to see what he was talking about. At first, I didn't see anything unusual.

"Huh? What do you mean-?"

But then, I held my breath, freezing the air pocket in my throat. My stomach took a dip into nausea, and my happily thumping heart sank along with it.

On the front of my white shirt, close to the edge that was nearly shielded by my cardigan, was a large stain of blood that looked was slowly enlarging.

Reality came crashing back to me with a vengeance.

**(Shadow's POV)**

"Greetings there, newcomer! And welcome to Club de la Glace S che!" a tall, gray colored Lynx declared when he caught sight of me. His voice arched over the music and sounds of people talking and clinking glasses. My eyes shifted in his direction.

I instantly took note of the Lynx's appearance. He was an inhabitant here on Rozorus, yet he looked like the same species as I...an oversized animal with human abilities, (my abilities more than likely surpassing his) yet he lived on a planet far from the world where Sonic and his friends derived from.

The Lynx was mainly gray, but his ears were tipped black, like they'd been dipped in charcoal ink, and there were various black patches covering the rest of his fur. He had large fangs, almost large enough to completely protrude over his bottom lip. His eyes were an electric, luminescent blue color, and it made him appear almost evil. He had on a black leather jacket that was torn around the chest area, loose leather trousers, and polished black shoes. His gloves were black, with sharpened, silver pyramids on the knuckles.

The guy may have appeared creepy to anyone else, but I saw right through his patchy, leather nonsense, and could see he was obviously trying way too hard. He didn't intimidate me at all.

I was so busy examining his attire, that I didn't notice how he'd maneuvered his way through the bustling crowd of young adults, all of which were also animals, and was now towering over me curiously. He stared down at me and tried to detect any vulnerability.

"Hm, you seem kind of familiar," he said in a low, roughly-edged voice that reminded me of crushed glass. "Have you attended my club before?"

I blinked. "_Your_ club? So I'm assuming you're the owner then," I stated. Now I had a better idea of who to get the Chaos Emerald from.

He grinned, baring his white fangs. "Indeed. My name is Rorschach. Rorschach the Lynx."

"...Pleasure," I said. "And you speak English?"

Though Dr. Eggman said the sign outside was in French.

The Lynx named Rorschach nodded quickly. "Yes. I speak fluently in many languages. But English and French are definitely the most common."

And now I was stumped. How was it that this galaxy spoke the same languages from Earth? I had never seen or heard anything like this. And I had traveled quite a distance through the universe, and already visited many galaxies. But never did any of them share even a small relation to the human ways of life.

"And just who might you be?" he said, bringing me out of my thoughts.

I hesitated on telling him my name. But I knew if I didn't, we wouldn't get anywhere.

"It's Shadow. Shadow the Hedgehog."

Rorschach's glowing blue eyes widened. "Shadow...That name...Ah! Yes! I have heard of you after all! Shadow the Hedgehog! Yes, I've had visitors speak of you and your treason in other galaxies. Well...they didn't exactly speak of you. But let's just say, I found out all about you on my own. From what I hear, you're quite the destructive one, aren't you?" he said with a sly grin, nudging my shoulder with his spiked fist.

I cleared his touch away from me. Who here could've possibly been able to tell him anything about me? How could anyone have come here and spoke of the things I'd done in the past? Most of the residents on the planets I'd traveled to were either too frightened to speak of me again, or never lived to tell the tale.

Is that what I was known for now? For being 'quite the destructive one'?

Rorschach shrugged. "Never mind that. Why don't you stop by the bar for a drink? I highly recommend it. People all over the world stop by here for a taste of my club's finest wine."

I growled and stepped closer to him, shooting him a threatening glare. "Enough of this. I'm not here to play games or make small talk, Rorschach, and you must know that. If you're the club owner, then you also know the whereabouts of the Chaos Emerald I'm after, correct? If that's the case, there's no use in lying and saying it's nowhere near here, we've already tracked it down with our radar. I won't hesitate to kill any of these club guests of yours if I have to. So don't be a fool and hand it over. I assure you I'll leave as soon as you do."

Rorschach blinked twice, bewildered by my sudden change in mood.

He then did the unexpected. He threw his head back and howled in laughter. Many of the guests lifted their heads and peered over in our direction questioningly. I myself was a little confused, and annoyed. Did he not take me seriously or something? Does he really think I'm lying?

Rorschach then sighed out the last of his chuckles and brought his neck down to look at me. "Oh, how humorous your hostility is. But there's no need for all that, Shadow the Hedgehog. In fact, I admit that your assumptions are true. I do know where the Emerald is. And get this. It's with me right now," he said, patting a pocket on the side of his pants. "I have no problem giving it to you without the entire hullabaloo. No one needs to get hurt or killed. But in all seriousness, I admire you for your courageousness to speak to me in that manner. I do insist you take a minute to breathe. Sit down. Relax. You look like you haven't done so in years. Please have a drink. It's on the house."

I crossed my arms irritably. Really, all I wanted was to get the Chaos Emerald and go. I wanted to get back to the Egg Carrier. I wanted to check on Rachel.

But if he insists on keeping me here longer, I might as well go with it.

It's the least I could do if he's handing over the Chaos Emerald willingly, saving me the trouble of having to end lives over it. And now, he's offering me the hospitality of his club. No charge.

Then I stopped. _What if this is all a trick? He doesn't look like someone who is naturally generous. He might have something brutal planned out for me. Maybe a trap._

I then smiled to myself. Ah, to hell with all that. If he wanted to challenge me, so be it. It's been a while since I experienced any diehard action or serious combat. And tonight, that might be exactly what's in store for me. Or then again, maybe I can take a second to just breathe, as he put it.

I let my arms fall to my sides and followed him to the bar.

**(Rachel's POV)**

"Ow," I hissed in pain. The spot where the blood-stain was had started to sting. My legs were growing tired from running for so long. My body was too weak for this. I wanted to stop, or at least slow down and catch my breath.

"Don't worry, Rachel! We'll figure out some way to help you!" Bocoe panted reassuringly. Him and Decoe each had one of my hands, and were running down the hall while pulling me along. They were running a bit harder than me, seeing as I was being dragged along. But how did this tire them? They're robots. They don't have muscles or lungs.

My legs stumbled over one another a few times, but I brought no attention to this. I just held my head high and tried to keep up with them. Where we were going, I hadn't the slightest clue.

Bokkun flew in front of me, hovering backwards to keep up with our pace and prevent from colliding with me. He reached out one arm and tampered with my shirt, trying to feel the area around the stain of blood. The moment his stubby little finger applied even a small bit of pressure, a sudden sharp bolt of pain exploded right there on the spot. It was like a white-hot stabbing pain that viciously throbbed.

"Aah, stop! Get away!" I gasped, trying not to scream too loudly and alert the robots in front of me. They already looked panicked enough. I didn't want them to worry more and create hysteria.

Bokkun on the other hand, was growing more impatient by the second. Before Decoe and Bocoe had begun dragging me off to God knows where, he had made many attempts to lift my shirt up a little and see what was causing me to bleed. I myself wanted to see it, because previously I wasn't even aware that I was hurt. Where did this blood come from? What could have possibly caused it?

I then felt my mind click, and my stomach flip-flop. _What if it was from the Chaos Spear._

I didn't think the energy from Shadow's attack was the kind to break skin. It hadn't worked that way for the man on the subway. But I was smaller than he was.

A chill coursed through my body, making me shudder.

But then I shook those thoughts out of my head. It didn't matter. I'd rag on Shadow later. For now, I wanted to steer clear of any interrogation on what happened between us, get this wound cleaned up, and just act like it never happened. We could start over, no questions asked. Simple as that.

But what will Shadow say when he sees it? Will he even care? Will he be happy that it might've scared some sense into me? I could just hear his voice now.

_"That should teach you a lesson. Next time you'll know better than to test my patience."_

"Ugh, come on Rachel! Let me see it! I just wanna know what the deal is, especially if YOU don't even know why YOU are bleeding!" Bokkun cried.

I growled. I didn't care how curious he was. It was none of his business.

"Please leave me alone! It's not that big of a deal anyway!" I yelled angrily.

Bokkun stared at me dumbfounded. "Wow, Rachel! You really thought you had me fooled, didn't you! I may not be the most intelligent guy in the universe, but how stupid do you think I am? Hit your head on the window my butt! Something went on between you and Shadow. He attacked you, didn't he!"

I pursed my lips tightly.

Bokkun narrowed his eyes. _"Well didn't he!"_

Decoe and Bocoe both turned their heads around, slowing down a little but still continuing to sprint. "What? Shadow attacked you? But why would he do such a thing!"

I felt my face turning red. So much for covering for Shadow. Bokkun obviously knew the truth all along, and now these two robots whom I barely knew had found out too. I was sinking deeper and deeper into the quicksand, beyond the point of getting out.

"No...L-Like I said, it doesn't matter," I spat stubbornly, desperately hoping that he would let the subject drop.

Bokkun rolled his eyes and turned back around to navigate where he flew. "Whatever. I cannot believe you! All I want to know is...why would you do that? Why would you try to protect Shadow? I've never heard of hostages covering for their kidnappers. And besides, he's more than capable of protecting himself from the wrath of Dr. Eggman. So it's not like the Doctor's knowledge is an issue. He hurt you, Rachel, and you're not doing anything about it, and trying to make it look like it's nothing. I'm sure you didn't deserve to be injured to the point of bloodshed. Do you really care about Shadow that much?"

I was getting more and more outraged. I was done trying to explain myself, when I simply couldn't. Care about Shadow? Hah! All I wanted was to settle our differences so this whole adventure from Hell would be easier to get through! After all, who really needs to deal with Shadow's bad temper all the time?

But he did have a point. Why _was_ I trying to protect Shadow? It's not like he needed it. Right then my mind started doing mental gymnastics. I couldn't answer my own questions, let alone Bokkun's, and it annoyed me.

So I simply dropped my gaze from his in silence.

After a few more minutes of running, I finally gave up on the suspense and decided to ask the robots the one question that actually mattered to me in this situation.

"Okay. Where are you guys taking me."

But as soon as I asked, they stopped abruptly in front of a wide, iron black door. I craned my neck upwards, seeing that the door-frame stretched up and nearly grazed the bland ceiling. There was a keypad on the side, just like with my room. But the label on the door said A-1 instead of B-12.

A-1? What's inside A-1?

"Hey Bokkun, you wouldn't happen to know the access code, would you?" Decoe asked, turning to look at him.

"Yeah, we still haven't asked the Doctor how to get in," Bocoe added. "But this is an emergency. We need to get there in right now!"

Bokkun crossed his arms and shook his head. "Hah, you guys are funny! Of course I know the code; I know all the codes in this place! And there's no way in heck that I'm giving it to either of you! Of all rooms you could possibly choose now, you choose Dr. Eggman's? That's just asking for trouble!"

I gasped and wrinkled my nose in disgust. _Dr. Eggman's room? But...why? How is this going to help anything!_

I gritted my teeth to keep any rude remarks from slipping out, while the robots tried desperately to shake the code out of Bokkun, but to no prevail. He seemed pretty dead set on not giving any of us access.

"Please!" Decoe and Bocoe shouted together.

"No." Bokkun answered simply, glaring at the two beneath him.

"Please!"

"No!"

"Please!"

"No!"

"PLEASE!"

"I SAID NO!"

"Cut it out!" I yelled, tired of watching the robots and Bokkun go back and forth at each other. This was like the twins arguing in the worst situation possible, a.k.a. the last thing I needed. Their argument was so pointless, that I almost felt the need to slap sense into every single one of them. But of course, I refrained from doing so.

"Honestly, Decoe and Bocoe, why did you take me here? How is anything in Dr. Eggman's room going to benefit me?" I asked, dipping my head down to inspect the blood stain on my shirt. It had nearly doubled in size, and the center of it had darkened in tint. I swallowed a gulp of air and placed my palm over it protectively.

Decoe cocked his head to the side and stared at me as if it were obvious. "Well, we figured that since we don't know if your flesh wound is deep or not, we were going to let you go into the bathroom and see for yourself, without us there."

Bocoe nodded. "Yeah, just in case you wanted the privacy, you know? And maybe then you could take a shower, clean the wound, and there are some bandages in the cabinet, and a first-aid kit-"

"Wait!" I shouted, to keep him from going further. My eyes were wide with anticipation, and my mouth had dropped open.

"Did you say...shower?" I asked, mindlessly smiling at the idea.

_A shower._ I had been wanting one of those for a long time now. And I needed it too. My skin was coated in a layer of dirt and grit. My hair was grimy and dull, still saturated with Westopolis rain-water. I looked and felt like someone who hadn't showered in years, let alone weeks. Nothing else mattered anymore. I wouldn't have even given half a care that it was in Eggman's bathroom, or even that I might've been bleeding from an internal organ. I just wanted some good hygiene back.

Decoe and Bocoe exchanged glances and then simultaneously nodded. "Sure, why not? It looks like a shower could do you some good," Bocoe said sheepishly.

I paid no attention to his comment, and turned to look at Bokkun, who was hovering behind my head.

"Oh my gosh, please give them the code, Bokkun! Give them the code, now! I want to take a shower! No, I _need_ to take one! I promise I'll be in and out before Eggman could ever find out I was in there! Please! If you do, I will never ask anything of you again, or call you names or be rude to you! I'm begging you!" I shouted desperately.

Bokkun squinted his eyes at me then sighed. "...Okay fine! Calm your gritz. The code is 1817490121."

I chewed on the edge of my lip, subconsciously storing the code into my memory bank. _1817490121. 1817490121. 1817490121..._

_Beep_

I whipped my head around, just in time to see the door slide open, revealing the lit inside.

Since it was Eggman's room, I expected it to be really fancy and high-class. But instead of looking grand, it appeared futuristic. There were various machines and paperwork scattered about, along with finished and unfinished inventions lined along the chrome shelves that were nailed to the walls. The bed was huge. _It would need to be huge to be Eggman's bed._ And the posts and headboards were styled in strange curvature. The sheets and pillowcases were covered in a shiny, reflective fabric that I had never seen before in my life. Right above the bed was a stamped symbol of Eggman's face on the wall. And instead of the only light sources coming from the bolted lights on the ceiling and lamp on the bedside, they were made up of various bulbs that were decorated across the walls, all sculpted in complicated shapes, each glowing either white or red. They cast colorful shadows all over the entire room.

Bocoe and Decoe took a look around as well. "Hm, it looks like he did some renovating," Bocoe said to himself.

They both then snapped back to reality, and guided me to a door off to the side, dragging me once again like a prisoner in shackles. Decoe opened the door, and they both used their strength to push me in.

I tripped inside and heard the door slam behind me.

"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and get to it!" they both shouted.

The inside of the bathroom was much like the regular room. Except it was more brightly-lit. But everything was still constructed out of chrome. Including the...

Shower.

I looked up at the beautiful appliance in front of me. My eyes lit up and my mouth fell open. It was like the angels above were singing in a chorus as I stood there, gaping at the shower like I had never seen one before in my sixteen years of life. Like it had been dropped down from heaven itself. The more I stared at it, the more anticipated I became.

I grabbed the shower door-handle and yanked it open, examining all the shiny twists and knobs curiously. I always had this problem back on Earth whenever I slept over at a friend's house. I never knew how to work their showers when it came time to bathe. But this looked like something out of the forty-third century. I hesitated, then pulled the center knob out and turned it to the left, assuming that the left direction would give me hot water.

Suddenly, water sprang out of the showerhead in a warm, powerful mist, soaking my arm and part of my sleeve in the process. I gasped and yanked my hand back before lightly laughing at my stupidity. At least I got this far without any problems. Maybe this would be less complicated than I thought.

I quickly pulled my shoes and socks off, then stripped my clothes off as well. Once I removed my shirt, I examined the area that had soaked through the cloth with blood. There was a lengthy gash caved into my skin. Somehow, looking at it made it hurt worse. I brushed my fingers against it, squeaking as it burned under my touch. I sighed shakily and knew I had no time to waste.

_This might hurt a bit._

I stepped into the shower, already welcomed by a warm cloud of silver steam, and closed the door behind me. The moment the water made contact with my wound, the pain was so sharp that I had to clamp down on my tongue to keep from screaming. The dried blood around the shallow cut began softening until it trickled down my stomach, legs, and sank down the drain. After a while, the stinging began to sub-side. I took deep breaths until the pain had finally ceased, and reverted my intentions back to getting clean.

Almost instantly, I could feel the grime sliding off of me. The water was crisp, hot, and refreshing. It sprayed down on me like a geyser. I let out a soft, satisfied whimper while knotting the back of my hair with my fingers. I have never been so grateful for something as simple a shower in my entire life.

My chest tightened and I closed my eyes. I could worry about soap and shampoo later. Right now, just basking in the mist, with a steamy aura hanging around me was enough to make me happy. I let all my worries escape me, and for a moment I even imagined that I was back at home, taking a shower in my own bathroom. Outside, my parents were waiting to kiss me goodnight before they went to bed, and Emma and Travis were lounging on their bunks in their pajamas, watching cartoons or fighting over who got the last slice of pizza.

I could almost hear their voices echoing throughout my skull.

My heart shriveled in sadness.

**(Shadow's POV)**

"Isn't this a nice place?" Rorschach asked me, rotating his bar seat around in my direction.

I darted my eyes to him while resting my head in my hand. My elbow moved slightly on top of the marble bar table. After ten minutes, I still had no idea what this guy was going at. I paid close attention to his rhythmic, sultry tone and expressive body language. I didn't let anything in the club interrupt my thinking. Not the music or the sound of the customers all trying to talk over each other. If he did so much as even dropped his voice an octave, my attentive ears would twitch. Everything about this mysterious Rorschach character was left for me to decode. So far, I hadn't depicted anything unusual. He just came off as another cocky, charismatic club owner. But I still remained on offense.

"Yes," I said stiffly. "I guess it's energetic enough."

Rorschach kept his eye contact locked with mine as he took a swig of the drink in his cup. It was some sort of thick, foamy white liquid that was encased in an oversized shot glass. After he finished his gulp, he licked the corner of his lip clean and clanked it back down on the tabletop.

"Of course it's energetic! I make sure that the buzz never dies here," he laughed, taking a look around the club. "But, you haven't even seen the best thing we have to offer yet."

I lifted an eyebrow. "And what might that be?"

Rorschach tilted his head back and looked towards the stage that stood in the center of the dance floor. There was a band playing jazz music off to the side of it, but no one was actually on stage performing any vocals. There was a lone microphone that stood in place, yet no singer attached to the other side. I averted my gaze back to him, confused.

He saw the look on my face and chuckled. "Allow me to explain, _Shadow_," he said, coating my name with sticky mockery. "Every night at midnight, we have a singer who comes out and sings a few songs. It's always the same girl, _my girl _if you will, who performs as entertainment for the club. We do it as part of the closing for every night, since the club closes at 3:00 AM. It's a great way to keep the customers from leaving early, but it also has them coming back for more."

I just continued staring at him. "You have this singer sing for three hours straight. Didn't you say she was _your girl_?"

A hungry look glazed over his eyes as he nodded. "Yes...she is my girl. Her name is Dakota. She's the most beautiful specimen to ever grace this planet, and she's all mine."

I couldn't help but feel disturbed. He was calling his girlfriend a specimen.

"And she works for you. At your club," I said in a serious, almost disgusted tone. Although Rorschach didn't seem to pick up on it.

"Hell yes. That's how we met. She auditioned for the closing act, and I hired her in a heartbeat. Her beautiful voice combined with her sexual appeal was something too good for me to pass up. We started dating right after I hired her. Of course, I had to break it off with my current girlfriend at the time. She wasn't too happy about it, but that's not my problem. I couldn't help who I'd fallen for. So, it was on to the next one," he stated with a wink.

I shook my head. Why would anyone ever want to be with scum like Rorschach was beyond me. He obviously had no respect for the females on his planet. It even bothered me. Me.

Suddenly, the lights around us dimmed until it was nearly stark black. The only light was coming from the single spotlight on stage. The audience did slow, synchronized claps, and even a few whistles were cooed. I looked up and saw a dark purple cat emerging from the velvet curtains on stage, taking her place at the microphone. The moment she was visible to all the crowd, the applauding grew louder.

The fur on the cat's head was long and styled like human hair. It trailed down the sides of her face in styled flips, with a long swoop covering her left eye. From what I could tell through the other eye, they were a light amethyst color, and were shadowed by her thick eyelashes and glittered makeup. She wore a short black dress that was covered in lavender sparkles and loose jewels. Her black heels clopped against the stage as she positioned herself at the microphone. She smiled gently at the people surrounding her and gave a slight nod of greeting.

"How are you all doing tonight?" she asked in a soft, womanly voice.

Everyone cheered in response, and I even heard a few men shout, "We love you, Dakota babe!"

I raised my eyebrows in slight approval. Dakota was easy on the eyes, I had to admit. But she wasn't as big of a deal as thought previously, the way Rorschach had made her sound. I didn't say this out loud though, and simply watched as she gave the band the cue to start playing with a flick of her wrist, opening her mouth to sing. Instantly, the entire atmosphere of the club changed. A very sensual feeling had drifted through the air as the notes began flowing from her sugared lips.

_"I want you to know,_  
><em>That you've fallen through a hole in the sky.<em>  
><em>The strangers welcome you.<em>  
><em>As you lose your sanity, they touch your soul.<em>

_Let them into your mind._  
><em>Let them into, let me in you..."<em>

"Ah," Rorschach sighed, breaking my attention away from Dakota as she swayed and sung. "Her voice. My ears eat it up like candy. Women who can carry a tune have always been something of a fetish for me."

I just shrugged. She wasn't bad. But I found myself thinking something relatively odd, and it shocked me once I realized what it was.

_Rachel outdoes this cat by a long shot._

I nearly gasped.

What the hell…? _What am I thinking!_

I widened my eyes and turned my head down sharply. _Don't do that, Shadow. Don't think about her. Not here, not now. The more you think about her, the more you'll be anticipating going to back to the Egg Carrier._ I knew I couldn't rush this if I wanted to make any progress.

But I still strongly believed my opinion. Rachel's talent could surpass this loose-looking girl's any day.

Rorschach suddenly glared at me in a furious manner, but then forced a smirk. He had a competitive gleam reflecting out of his eyes. "Ah. So...you got a girl Shadow?"

I frowned at him. "Excuse me?"

He laughed. "Oh so you're one of those guys. There's no need to get defensive with me. It's just a simple question, even if it's not any of my business. Just trying to spark a conversation."

I rolled my eyes and thought his question over, and once again, Rachel's face was plastering itself in my head. I growled and turned away.

_No, stop it._ _Don't even think such things._ _I know I don't like Rachel in that way. That's something I can barely fathom. In fact I don't like her period. She's a human and I hate humans. The only exception to that was Maria. No one else. Not ever._

"No," I said through gritted teeth, almost sounding like I was in pain. I really just wanted to get the Chaos Emerald, get out of this place, and get back to the Egg Carrier. I knew Eggman was outside waiting for me too.

Rorschach bellowed a low, dark laugh. "You liar," he said, hardening his eyes as his fangs gleamed in an evil smirk. "I can see right through you."

I frowned right back.

_Okay?_

"Whatever, Rorschach. Enough is enough. Just give me the Chaos Emerald so I can leave. I need to be somewhere."

_I need to be with Rachel. I want to be there when she wakes up._

I almost growled out loud again, frustrated with myself. Why couldn't my mind shut up.

Rorschach paused and looked at me like I was insane, before suddenly giving a single nod and pursing his lips in a tight line. "Why of course, Shadow. Anything for a patient fellow like you," he said sarcastically, showing off a crooked smirk.

_"I want you to know that the smoke bellows out the depths of the pipe._  
><em>Caress you, it makes you believe anything.<em>  
><em>All the truths, all the lies."<em>

He reached into his pants pocket and pulled the Chaos Emerald out from the leather folds, shoving it towards me. The moment I saw it, I could feel the Chaos power inside of me beckoning it. The Emerald itself was a bright, sky blue color. It matched the color of Rorschach's devious eyes.

He loosened his grip on it and allowed me to pry it out of his hand. I clutched it to my chest, self-satisfied that I was one Chaos Emerald closer to having all seven. But that also meant I was also one Emerald closer to having six, and then returning back to Earth for the seventh one...

Then I would have to use Rachel for ransom. And afterwards, never see her again, right?

_"Let them into your mind._  
><em>Let them into, let me in you...<em>

_Let them into your mind _

_Let them in too, let me in you..."_

Dr. Eggman was waiting outside for me. I stood up from my seat and headed for the exit.

But then, Rorschach stopped me.

"Not so fast, Shadow the Hedgehog."

With a quiet groan, I looked back at him, this time beyond irritated. "What do you want now," I asked less than politely.

He cracked a sadistic smile. "So, you're a kidnapper now?"

I felt my heart start to race from the sudden accusation and stiffened. "What are you talking about?"

Rorschach took a few, threatening steps towards me, never losing his ridiculously wide grin. "I'll have you know that I can read minds, Shadow. I've been reading your mind since you stepped foot into my club. How do you think I found you? Your head was screaming the same wishes over and over. Chaos Emerald this, and Return to a Carrier that," he said.

The idea was scary, but for some reason I refused to believe him despite his proof. Anyone could say that those things were on my mind after what we'd been talking about. My eyes scrunched at him disbelievingly. "Yeah, right. Do I look like I was born yesterday? Why don't you give me one real reason to believe you."

He shrugged. "How else would I know that you're a kidnapper? And that you're going to hold the girl for ransom?"

The pace of my heart beat went awry. Hearing someone else actually say it out loud made me cringe.

He continued. "And if that isn't enough proof for you, I also overheard that the girl's name is Ra-chel."

I became tense. And now hearing Rachel's name said out loud, by someone as dark and suspicious as Rorschach, strangely made my blood boil. My fists tightened, including the one wound around the Chaos Emerald.

He then looked like he was trying to control his smile. "Oh? You don't like me saying her name either? Is that so, Shadow the Hedgehog. It would make sense. You haven't been able to take your mind off her the entire time you've been here. Either you're the guiltiest monster that ever lived, or you must really like her. I'm guessing the latter is correct."

_"Magic potions, grinning fur._  
><em>It's all a blur, it's all a blur.<em>  
><em>Magic poisons, royal tea.<em>  
><em>Run screaming, run screaming to me.<em>

_I want you to know..._  
><em>I want you to know..."<em>

I gritted my teeth. It was taking every last ounce of my willpower to keep from ripping Rorschach to shreds. I started taking backwards steps, hoping that I could just leave and get away from him.

He shook his head. "Ah ah ah, Shadow. You're not leaving now. I don't know what it's like where you come from, but kidnapping is against the law here on Rozorus. It's _illegal_. I could have you arrested and thrown in prison. I could give you a life sentence, or even the death penalty with just the snap of a finger. Unless..."

I frowned back almost desperately. Whatever he wanted, as long as it didn't conflict with me leaving with the Chaos Emerald, I might be up to it.

"Unless what."

He squinted his eyes at me and flashed another smirk.

"Unless you _sell_ this Rachel girl to me. Leave her here under my possession, and I will let you go free."

My eyes widened.

_Sell Rachel to him?_

_Like a slave? _

_Leave her behind here on this planet? _

_No._

_No._

_There has to be another way._

Rorschach stretched his smirk farther.

"There isn't."

_"Let them into your mind._  
><em>Let them into...<em>  
><em>Let me in you..."<em>

**X  
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**(Me speaking) GOD, I am SO SORRY that it took so long to update (once again). I had to have my laptop shipped off somewhere for repair. I pouted every day until it got here. And when it did, I immediately started writing.**

**Anyways, I hope you liked the chapter. To me, it's not that fun. I was suffering from some major writer's block. And still kind of am. **

**I also noticed that I have 90 reviews. Good lord...THANK YOU SO MUCH :) It's something of a big deal to me since this is my first fanfiction story and I didn't expect it to do this well, even if 90 is not that big a number to some people. Either way PLEASE help me get to 100. If you do, then I would die a happy girl. K, little dramatic, but it's true. Tell your friends about this story. If you haven't reviewed yet, please do! I know I sound like a desperate wench. It's because I am.**

**Response to reviews:**

**Honestly…Rachel and Shadow might not become friends at all if you can wrap your head around that. This isn't a case of two high school sweethearts meeting, befriending and then falling in love. We're talking people of different species; one kidnapped and held hostage by the other. It isn't exactly Romeo and Juliet. But even then, those two didn't become friends first, those dorks.**

**I'm sorry if the (script) part at the beginning of Chapter 17 bothered anybody. But I couldn't think of any other way to make it, and I didn't want it to be through a point of view. I wanted it to have no viewpoint, in order to make the reader feel like they were really watching it. I guess I failed, haha. Sorry if it was lame.**

**I thought Sonic having a crush on a human was a somewhat cute idea. But I HATE Elise. Even if I've never played Next Gen, I've watched walkthroughs and cutscenes, and my gosh is she is the most annoying, obnoxious, and pointless character ever -.- I can only imagine how frustrated the players got having to save her all the time. She's Princess Peach done wrong. But that's only my opinion.**

**Congrats to reviewer who's close to finishing the Shadow the Hedgehog game :) I seriously wish I could play the game, seeing as I don't even own it. I don't care if it got bad reviews. I think Shadow is a badass character. You could slap him onto any franchise and it would instantly become epic.**

**The way Commander Tower sees the story of the ARK and with Maria is wrong, I agree :( But I don't intend him to be the character that everyone hates. He's just an old man with a bad past and a kidnapped grand-daughter. I'd say we should cut him some slack.**

**Once again, nobody should feel bad about wanting to share ideas with me :) Because I really appreciate the help. But I already have everything planned. I even have ideas for OTHER stories (that I'm not sharing).**

**I agree, Rachel was calm when she realized she was in Shadow's room. But if you need me to explain, it was kind of one of those "...Whhaaaattt daaaaa fuuuuhhhhh?" moments. Not really a freak-out moment. Rachel's not a dramatic person all the time. I try to have her only freak out when it's highly necessary…*grins and cracks mirror***

**Every one of your compliments and positive feedback on the story is truly heartwarming to read. I love to satisfy readers, so thank you for that.**

**And about this chapter, I know it's a cliffhanger. Sorry to make you wait so long JUST to leave you hanging. But don't worry. I'll keep updating. And Shadow and Rachel will actually interact again in the next chapter.**

**Song that was used: Alice is Dead by Hania.**

**Again, 100 reviews...please :)**

**Thank you.**

**Bye!**


	19. Sadness, Guilt, Rage, Blood

**Chapter Revised [x]**

* * *

><p><strong>(Travis' POV)<strong>

Emma and I had never been so close to each other in our entire lives. Our constant arguing and fighting over dumb sibling stuff used to be a regular thing. Now, it subsided. It never happened anymore.

Before, I hardly ever looked at Emma as more than a sister. Not even the fact that we were twins was able to bring us any closer. But now, we never let each other out of sight. We were always sitting or standing next to each other, and when were forced to separate, we made sure to schedule a reunion. We did all our activities together, whether it was watching T.V., eating snacks, or even taking a nap.

Sometimes Emma would get up in the middle of the night and climb the ladder on our bunk bed up to my bunk, and ask if she could sleep with me. She'd usually say something along the lines of, "Travis, I can't sleep," or, "Travis, I had another bad dream." And it always ended with, "Is it okay if I sleep here just for tonight?"

I never knew if she was really telling the truth. Maybe it was because she was just lonesome, or scared even. Maybe being by herself in the dark had become frightening. But whatever the reason might've been, I never said no and always allowed her room to lie down beside me. When she did lay, I'd let her have most of the blankets because she liked to wind herself up like a cocoon. There wasn't a lot of space for the two of us, but we made the most of it. These were just a few of the little sacrifices that we made in our new mutual selflessness. We were very protective of each other. We didn't want to lose each other.

Not like we lost Rachel.

All the adults in our family were hysterical for a while. But now that over a month had passed, we'd all calmed down a bit while still silently clinging to hope. Although I had to admit, sometimes my parents confused us with their emotions. For example, my mom would catch me and Emma occasionally looking sad or deep in thought, and she'd know that we were thinking about our older sister. She'd try to make us feel better by saying all this reassuring stuff.

"Oh, don't be so down, guys! Rachel will be back soon. We haven't lost her forever," she would say in a lighthearted tone.

"It's gonna be okay. I promise! Before we know it, she'll be back home and it will be like nothing has changed at all."

But then almost immediately after that, she would run out of the room, lock herself in the bathroom and cry her eyes out for hours on end. She'd scream and bawl until she was hyperventilating. She would beg for God to bring her daughter back home to her.

"Dear God, I'm sorry for all the wrong I've done in my life. I'm sorry for every selfish decision I've ever made. But please, I'll do anything! Just please bring my baby home to me!"

I couldn't help but blame myself. Emma and I didn't mean to make our Mom remember why we were all depressed in the first place. We didn't mean to make her cry. But nonetheless, we never attempted to knock on the door and ask her to come out. Even if it got late and we were hungry for dinner, we'd still just let her sit in there and cry it out, while both staring at the door blankly. We hated seeing...er...listening to our mother cry, but it was better that way, rather than she keep her emotions bottled up. It was almost like her tears were constantly building up every second of the day, waiting to spill over, and she would eventually need to drain herself in order to be back on empty. And then the vicious cycle continued.

The only time she came out of the bathroom was when Dad got home from work. We didn't even have to explain where Mom was and what was going on. He could hear her as soon as he walked through the front door. He would drop everything and go to the door, gently consoling her from the other side until she finally turned the handle and let him in. She'd fall against his chest, sobbing uncontrollably like she does at funerals; like she was crying over a loved one who had passed away. Sometimes it felt like that's what Rachel was to all of us. Dead.

Every last ounce of joy in our family had withered away since her absence. We were slowly starting to accept that it might be a long time before we saw her again. And if she did come back, she would definitely not be the same Rachel that she was before. I could only imagine how traumatic her experiences were. After her return, she could possibly fall in a deep depression, or at least that's what Dad said. That was one of my biggest fears. That my sister's sunshiny and loving personality would be gone forever, her spirit completely destroyed after being captured by that Shadow the Hedgehog guy. I didn't know what to expect. Not that any of us did.

I'm pretty sure that if she wasn't back home within a few months, Grandpa would go completely insane. He's tried everything he could to locate Rachel. He set out search troops all over America, and even higher people in other countries have been on the lookout, since no one knew where Shadow teleported. Grandpa also had the space station set up high-tech telescopes to survey the galaxy and see if they could find anything peculiar in outer space. Anything that could serve as a clue to Rachel's whereabouts. But alas, the solar system was as dark and empty as everything else in our lives.

Despite all that's happened, I still love Rachel. I'll never stop loving her no matter what, even if here disappearance has done no less than completely ripped our lives apart. I just want to know where she is now. If she isn't even on Earth anymore, where could she possibly be? And when will Shadow the Hedgehog bring her back? Does he plan on bringing her back at all? Will she be here when Emma and I graduate from elementary school? From junior high? High school? College? Will she get to see my wedding, or Emma's wedding? Will she ever be able to have her normal life back even after it's all over?

I wonder if she misses me as much as I miss her. I wonder if she's ever thought about me and Emma, or Mom and Dad, or even Grandpa. It feels like time has slowed down since she left. The world doesn't seem as fun as it used to, and instead turned gray. Everything I see and hear reminds me of her, and I always want to cry. None of us can stop thinking about her and it's miserable.

_You're in our prayers, Rachel. Please, wherever you are, come home soon._

**(Sonic's POV)**  
><strong>[in Tails' old observatory]<strong>

"Come on, Sonic. You can't keep beating yourself up over this whole thing," Amy sighed gently, placing her hand over my tensed shoulder. "None of it is your fault."

Her touch instantly pulled me out of my thoughts. I lifted my head and turned to look at her, while leaning back in my lounge chair. Her emerald green eyes were glazed over with a look of worry and sadness. I sighed tiredly, tearing my gaze away from hers and fixating it on the maroon carpet. I had already tried way too many times to explain myself, and explain why I was guilty about Rachel Tower's capture. Nobody seemed to understand where I was coming from. Basically, no matter what anybody said, no matter what Amy said, they were wrong when they said this wasn't my fault. Because it was.

"You don't get it, Amy. This wasn't supposed to happen," I said darkly, squinting my eyes angrily at the ground. "I...I knew I should've gone with the Tower family onto their train. I should've made sure they got to Station Square safely. If I'd gone along, things could have ended differently. We wouldn't be where we are now."

I frowned harder. "If I had been there, I wouldn't have let Shadow kidnap Rachel. I wouldn't have let him anywhere near her or anybody else. I could've stopped him. I know it."

Amy breathed out heavily, taking a step closer to me from behind. It was clear she didn't know how to respond.

"And how were you supposed to know that anything like that would happen, Sonic?" she asked, breaking the cold momentary silence. "You can't see the future. None of us can. The Tower family was never meant to be your responsibility. I don't want you to keep blaming yourself. It's not fair to you."

My eyes widened and I scowled. I grunted loudly, jumping up out of the chair. Amy ripped her hand away out of instinct from the sudden movement. I flung around to face her.

"We're really going to talk about fairness now? How fair do you think any of this is for Rachel Tower! Huh!"

I then softened my tone.

"Just close your eyes, Amy. Imagine it all. Picture yourself in her shoes. Think about how scared she is. She didn't do anything wrong; she didn't deserve for this to happen to her. And also leave some room in for common sense. Shadow the Hedgehog returned to Earth. After many years, the Ultimate Life form just came back out of the blue and none of us knew the reason. What, do you think he was just dropping by to say hello? Why didn't any of us stop to think that maybe, just maybe, he had some dangerous hidden agenda, and leaving the first human he encountered alone was a bad idea? Out of all of us, she was the only one he'd interacted with. And top it off with the fact that she's Abraham Tower's grand-daughter, it's almost scary to think that she could be considered the perfect hostage. I'm not exactly sure what she's being held hostage for. But she's still just a young girl with relations to the G.U.N. Commander. I don't care that none of us knew what Shadow's intentions were. We still should've kept an eye on Rachel, and that's all there is to it. So yes, Amy, this _is_ my fault. She _was_ my responsibility. And I have every right to blame myself! If I had gone on Train 41 just for safety's sake, I could've stopped it! No one would've gotten injured, and Rachel would be home safe with her family right now."

Amy stared at me then dropped her brow sadly. Her eyes glistened over with fresh tears, and instantly my heart melted. The last thing I wanted was to make her cry. I suppressed all the fury inside me and tried to bring about my gentle side again.

"I-I'm sorry, Amy. I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm just frustrated with myself. You have to understand-"

She shook her head, dropping her ears slightly. "No, I'm not upset because of that."

She walked past me silently and went to look out the window. Outside, the night sky was blanketed in velvety blue. The moon glowed in the distance, washing over all the dark green terrain with its dimmed rays. It was the same moon that I had watched get partially shattered to bits by Eggman sixteen years ago; back when I met Shadow for the first time. Supposedly, that night was the same night Rachel Tower was born. To me the moon served as a reminder of her existence, making it that much harder to keep her out of mind seeing as it hung over my head day in and day out.

Amy breathed out hesitantly. "I feel like we've failed Commander Tower," she said. "We failed him and his family. Sonic, you don't have a responsibility alone. But _we_ do have a responsibility. We share it together. Our main priority is to make sure no evil harms the people of this planet, and to protect them. And that priority never takes a rest. We're supposed to watch after everyone...make sure that no innocent life is lost for such vain reasons. Rachel is so far away from her natural home. Far from Earth, far from Station Square. We all let her down."

I looked at her quietly, making my way over to the window to stand next to her.

"Now don't you go blaming yourself too, Amy Rose. We'll bring her back. Don't you worry," I said reassuringly. "Tails is trying the best he can. He'll be done modifying the X Tornado soon. Then we'll all go into space and look for her ourselves. But until then, let's try to be more positive about this. And that goes for me too."

Amy turned her neck to look at me. "Oh come on. Everyone's been on edge since Shadow returned. How can I find anything about this situation positive?"

I pondered for a moment then shrugged. "How about we take into consideration that maybe Shadow won't treat Rachel all that badly?"

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Oh please. It's _Shadow_. He's been cruel before, and he can always do it again. It's been a while since we last saw him. What if he's even worse now?"

I cocked my head. "You don't know that. Sixteen years a long time. Not that it changes anything, but maybe he's changed. And also let's not forget that he originally rescued Rachel from those creeps in Westopolis. The normal Shadow would've never bothered to respond to a human cry for help. For all we know, Rachel could be in better hands than we think. Shadow isn't completely evil. There is some good in the guy. Let's at least give him that."

Amy sighed, rubbing the side of her arm awkwardly. She didn't seem convinced, but quickly masked it with a small chuckle.

"You never cease to amaze me, Sonic. Even with strange cases like Shadow, you always manage to find the good in people." She sighed, wrapping her arms around my chest and nuzzling me. I looked down at her and lifted an eyebrow, smirking at her sudden affection. She then lifted her head so that we were face to face.

"We're all in this together, right? You, me, Knuckles, and Tails. No one will be able to relax until Rachel is brought back home to Station Square. So we'll be the ones to bring her home. Then things can be normal again."

I laughed gently, bringing my arm around her waist in a friendly half-hug.

"Trust me, it'll be a piece of cake."

I then averted my eyes back out the window, a little unsure if I believed my own words.

"We just have to patient. Before you know it, we'll all be soaring through those stars in the X Tornado, right on Egg-butt's tail."

She giggled. "Right. And then you can kick his and Shadow's butts to the moon."

I laughed. "Exactly. That sounds perfect."

**(Rachel's POV)**

I sanitized the wound on my torso with a handful of soap, wincing in discomfort and reeling in a shaky breath once the stinging had returned.

_Ugh, come on, Rachel. Don't be a wimp and suck it up. You don't want the area to get infected. Just clean it up and be done with it like a good girl._

The suds slid down my stomach in foamy trails. I pressed my other hand down on the soap bottle once again, and pumped another ounce of soap into my enclosed fingers so I could lather the rest of my body. After a few minutes of repeatedly cleansing myself, I found myself humming random notes to pass the time. My quiet, nearly monotone humming slowly began transcending into a regular song. And before I knew it, I was shyly singing in the shower just like I used to back on Earth.

"_It's a little bit funny. This feeling inside_..." I started out timidly. The situation felt a little awkward. Here I am, using Eggman's shower. In this spot that I'm standing in, Eggman has been naked. The thought was repulsive, but still this was no time to be picky. I made the most of it and tried singing louder to distract myself from any more lingering thoughts.

"_I'm not one of those who can easily hide... I don't have much money but boy if I did, I'd buy a big house where we both could live._"

I hesitated, swallowing a dry lump of air. My veins started pulsating with more adrenaline. My eyelids lost their heavy weight, and I felt myself waking up more.

"_And you can tell everybody this is your song._

_It may be quite simple but, now that it's done…_"

Then, it felt like something in the core of my spirit had been re-awakened, and my energy flooded back to me. My voice was starting to sound more upbeat again. I didn't sound strained or depressed. I sounded like Rachel Tower again. It gave me a burst of confidence and I gave a catlike grin.

Wow, one shower was all it took. Now I'm ready to take on the world.

I laughed inwardly, continuing to sing. "_I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind, that I put down in words…how wonderful life is now you're in the worl-"_

There was a loud knocking on the bathroom door.

"Rachel? What the heck are you doing in there!" I heard Bokkun ask from the alternate side of the door. I instantly bit my lip, flushing in embarrassment. But then, I couldn't help but frown. I can't even sing without having my motives questions? Figures.

I heard him groan. "Come on! This is no time to be a canary! You need to hurry up and get out before Dr. Eggman and Shadow return!"

I paused. Hearing Shadow's name instantly yanked me out of my rising mood. My mouth opened slightly, and a light breath escaped.

What is Shadow going to say when he sees my injury? What if he's already seen it? Did he check before he left to go...wherever he is now? I really hope he does know about it. The last thing I want do to is go explain the matter with him and spark anymore drama between us.

The hot water dripped down my face and hair, collecting at the seam of my pursed lips. I felt my own hands start to quiver as they roamed my arms and waist, rubbing the dead layer of skin off with the palms. My fear of Shadow was flourishing. I had meant to take a step forward with him, but I ended up taking two steps backward. Was this my fault, or his?

"I'm sorry. I'm moving as fast as I can," I said quietly, looking down and letting the water fall around me. But then I ignored everything and gave a small smile. Despite everything, I was still in a good mood, and wanted to ride out the feeling for as long as possible. That meant it was going to take a lot to knock me down.

**(Shadow's POV)**

I glared at Rorschach unforgivingly, clenching my body inwards in fury.

How dare he.

How dare he even consider it would be appropriate to suggest a bargain like this one with me?

Sell Rachel to him? Never.

Not even if this entire planet came crumbling down, not even if lives were on the line, I would never...ever...leave Rachel in the hands of this creepy, and downright psychotic Lynx. The deal was, I keep her with me until I uncovered six of the Chaos Emeralds, followed by bringing her back to Earth and using her to retrieve the seventh. Then, we would part forever.

That's the way it was.

But oddly, the ransom mission never even crossed my mind until now. Something else was there, and I couldn't deny it much longer. I knew I definitely had some strongly possessive feelings regarding Rachel. The desire to keep her safe was ravaging. I couldn't pinpoint a reason, or even the simplest explanation as to why that was. But the moment my mind processed the words 'Sell this Rachel girl to me' in Rorschach's undertone, I found my muscles aching to snap the Lynx's face in half.

Rorschach stared at me with a vicious and twisted glint in his frosted eyes. He seemed extremely satisfied with my reaction, absorbing it for everything it was worth.

I almost gasped, shaken by my own thoughts, and remembering Rorschach's strange mind-reading ability. There was my problem. I needed to stop thinking altogether.

_Don't let him in, Shadow. Don't think of anything he can use against you. Keep him out. Keep him out._

Rorschach chuckled while simultaneously massaging his muzzle with his thumb and fore-finger. I wondered if he heard that too.

"So, what will it be, hedgehog? Are you willing to exchange your hostage for ensured freedom? Bear in mind, I wouldn't be stubborn over my decision if I were you. Living out the remainder of your days behind Rozorus' prison bars isn't exactly a tasteful future."

My tongue pointed against the back of my teeth. I was shaking with rage. The Chaos Emerald hummed loudly in my grasp since the energy was being fueled by my anger. I looked down at it and saw it had started to glow brighter. Rorschach noticed it too, but didn't pry his glance off me, and simply acknowledged its presence with a confident smirk.

I bit down on air._ I plan on getting out of here as soon as possible, but just for curiosity's sake..._

"What do you want with her..." I asked sharply, cautious of the answer I would receive.

Rorschach just knitted his eyebrows together in response. "Well, judging by how much you think about this girl, and the thoughts you have concerning her, I can only imagine how special she is to you."

I just blinked back at him. Could he really gather that much information from hearing only a few of my mentality statements? I couldn't argue with his assumption though. Even if I had not known Rachel for that long, and couldn't recall ever thinking to myself that she was special, I knew she was definitely different for whatever reason.

All the more reason why I wasn't going to give her up.

Rorschach took a step back, as if to study me more accurately. "You might not be aware of this, Shadow the Hedgehog. But anyone and everyone who possesses a brain have thoughts that they don't even know about. They're thoughts that you don't really acknowledge, but they still exist in your mind. It's almost like a subconscious within a subconscious. While you might have generated actual words as thoughts, your inner senses were also reacting to other signals. Not only do I hear your thoughts on this Rachel girl out loud, but I can even hear and see her for myself. The sound of her voice is stored in your brain, as well as her face and other features. And the signals are coming straight from the base of your memory. So what I hear and see isn't altered or distorted in the slightest. It's purely factual imagery. And if I truly focus, I can even hear her singing."

My eyes widened. That seemed a little far-fetched. Was he trying to throw me off?

He shook his head. "Don't believe me? You want me to repeat the words of her song back to you?"

I cringed. _No. Don't._

He smirked. "Ever so gently, hear my voice," he taunted in a girly voice, taking a step forward.

"Ever so softly, feel my touch."

I clenched my teeth harder together, almost hearing Rachel's audible voice along with him. I mirrored his actions by taking a step backward.

He smirked for a second time. "Always so gently, I walk. So go to sleep..."

_Enough._

"My love."

_I said **enough**!_

He laughed loudly, placing a hand over his stomach as if it would burst. I shut my eyes, about to make a remark in my defense. But he instantly cut me off.

"My, my, my. That's quite the kinky song, no? She has an intoxicating voice might I add. When I'm granted ownership of her, I might even put her out there on stage," he said, gesturing towards the large platform, now basking in a dark purple spotlight as Dakota's silhouette made many smooth motions towards the audience, all while breathing out raspy noted words into the microphone. "She could give Dakota a run for her money."

My eyes shot open at the sound of this.

He didn't even pause to catch his breath. "I might just have to dress her down a little. She isn't all that bad-looking Shadow, for whatever species she is. In fact, she has quite a visual appeal. But maybe some more clingy attire would make my audience appreciative. Who knows, she could be the next best thing to ever happen to my club," he added with a sultry wink.

That had done it. Those last statements had sliced through the last bondage of self-control left in my spirit.

He then extended his large, bulky hand towards me, urging me to shake it. "So, what do you say. Do we have a deal?"

The energy of the Chaos Emerald in my arms was practically screaming out of merciless intensity. Its glow cast distorted shadows all over my face. I didn't let any thoughts cross my mind, that way Rorschach would be unprepared for what I was about to do. An improv finally hit me, and I set off like a rocket.

I threw my own hand forward, wrapping my fingers tightly around Rorschach's hand as if I was about to shake it. But then I squeezed harder, until I was sure his blood circulation had been blocked off. He shot a questioning look, since my current actions were contradictory to my previous words and expression. I flashed him an evil snarl, and then twisted his arm all the way around at a nearly 360 degree angle. A gruesome cracking noise filled the room, like a thick branch that had been snapped in several different places. The bones from his hand all the way up to his elbow instantly shattered under my grip.

Rorschach's reaction was extremely delayed. It took him a moment to comprehend what had just happened. But the pain must've hit him like a train. When it finally sunk in, he screamed loudly in agony, unable to pull his arm out of my grasp since it was now rendered useless. His whole face scrunched in as he bit down on his bottom lip with his blade-like teeth until it bled. The red droplets beaded together before dropping off the edge of his mouth and onto the floor.

I smirked at his expression of misery as his arm twitched violently underneath my iron hold.

"To hell with your deal."

Rorschach's mouth fell wide open. By now, the customers had noticed what was going on and all jumped from their chairs in unison, gasping or screaming out in surprise at what they were seeing. Dakota halted her voice and made a loud noise of shock through the microphone. Almost instantly, everyone began running for the exits. I almost smiled to myself in dark humor.

Perfect. You can only imagine what Eggman's thinking right about now when he sees people running out of the club, fleeing for their lives. Probably something along the lines of... _"Oh Shadow, you've done it again. Sending people running away in terror is clearly what you're best at."_

But that was my mistake. I became too distracted and let my guard down. My eyes wandered to the panicking crowd of anthromorphic animals for all of half a second, but that was enough time to leave myself open. A sharp pain suddenly erupted right there on my torso. It felt like a blade had sliced through me. The pain ran from left to right, but intensified around the middle, like someone had driven a knife through my skin, and planted it deeper as it went along.

I gasped out, instantly darting my head down to see what struck me. Instead of seeing any weapon, I found a long gash etched across the area directly beneath my chest, where the pain was originating. My black fur made it difficult for the blood to be thoroughly visible, but I could definitely feel it running down my stomach. There were also a few crimson specks splattered against my white chest fur. Even though it hurt like hell, I still didn't let go of Rorschach.

He had officially signed his death wish.

My eyes traveled upwards. Rorschach was panting from the overwhelming pain of his broken bones. But through the heavy breathing, he forced an evil grin, satisfied to have gotten his revenge.

The sound or the doors being thrown open went off all around me. I didn't take my eyes off Rorschach, but could feel a threatening presence fill the room. The once sensual, almost tranquil atmosphere of the club was now bathed in a sense of violent invasion. Whether that invasion was from me, or the people now entering the building, that was solely up to whoever bared witness to this event.

"Freeze! You are completely surrounded! Get on the ground and put your hands over your head!" a loud voice boomed over a megaphone. It was a husky male voice who was standing somewhere behind me. I growled to myself. _Well if it isn't my favorite thing in the world._ _Cops._

I darted my eyes around the interior of the club. All sorts of male animals, who I assumed were the authorities, were lined along the walls and had their machine guns all readied and aimed at me.

The same man behind me from before, who I hadn't taken the time to notice, continued yelling into his megaphone.

"If you don't follow orders, we will be forced to open fire!"

I turned my attention back to the Lynx who was still in my grip. He wasn't putting up much of a struggle, but he had this evil, justified look on his face. Like he really believed that there was no hope for me now, and that I had no chance of escaping. My eyes then averted downwards to his free arm. In it, his trembling gloved fingers were wrapped around the handle of a slender dagger. There was fresh blood...my blood...coated on the surface and dripping down the sharp point.

I slowly lifted the Chaos Emerald away from me and raised my hand higher. My arm shook slightly as my strength rapidly depleted. All my body's energy was centering around my wound, and hardly any of it was left in my muscles.

The Chaos Emerald hummed loudly in my grasp. The cops around me brought their weapons closer to them in an attacking stance, all wary of my sudden movement.

"GET ON THE GROUND, NOW!" the man yelled.

I laughed wickedly to myself, releasing Rorschach and pushing him away. He stumbled a little but immediately regained himself, slitting his eyes at me in confusion.

_What's the matter, Rorschach? You thought you had it all under control, didn't you?_

He widened his eyes in fear.

"WE WONT ASK AGAIN, HEDGEHOG!"

_I'm sure you expect me to be appreciative since you handed the Chaos Emerald over so easily. However I'm more than annoyed with you. It's been a pleasure doing business with you. Now time to blow this place sky high._

"WE WILL OPEN FIRE IN THREE-!"

_You're gonna wish you never invaded the privacy my mind._

"TWO!"

_You're gonna wish you never mentioned Rachel's name to me._

"ONE!"

_You're gonna wish you never got on my bad side._ _Cheers._

He emitted a short yelp.

"Alright men, open fi-"

"CHAOS…**BLAST**!"

**(Rachel's POV)**

Sterile. Fresh. Pristine. Renewed. All these words didn't even half describe how clean I felt. It was incredibly rejuvenating.

After stepping out of the shower into a welcoming cloud of hot vapor, I got a clean towel out of the bathroom closet to dry myself. The towel itself was ivory white, and extremely soft to the touch as I patted myself dry. The towel absorbed water off my skin faster than a Sham Wow could ever dream of, making my life a whole lot easier since now I had another reason to not keep the ever so patient Decoe, Bocoe, and Bokkun waiting on the other side of the door. But I guess I should cut them some slack. They just didn't want to upset their boss slash creator, and letting the hostage of this whole ordeal take a shower in his bathroom was definitely pushing it.

I wrapped the somewhat short towel around my damp and softened body, securing the edge of it underneath the first layer so that it wouldn't unravel and fall. Something told me this cloth was meant to be used as a washrag for Eggman, seeing as his towels would have to be a mile long to cover his whole body.

I twisted the ends of my hair together tightly over the marble sink, ringing out all the excess water. Once I'd combed my fingers through the wet, blackened locks, the tangles had been smoothed out until they unknotted into silky cascades.

There was a diamond-shaped mirror on the wall that I hadn't even acknowledged when I entered, or rather was thrown into the bathroom. It was right above the sink, coated in a fresh layer of moisture. I hesitated for a moment before reaching one hand forward and smearing my palm across the glass, leaving a clean smudge so I could see my reflection. What I saw nearly made me gasp in overflowing joy. But instead, I took a deep breath and smiled.

My skin looked at least five shades lighter, but that was because it'd been covered in a build-up of dirt and grime. My blotchy face now looked smooth and my lips had gone pink and healthy. My eyes weren't dry or bloodshot, and now looked white as fresh snow again. Even the green in the irises seemed more vibrant in color. Everything about myself just looked perfectly in place again. I sighed gratefully, tearing my gaze away from my own eyes and looking down to re-adjust the towel.

Now all I needed was a fresh pair of clothes, or rather my old ones after the blood had been washed off, and then I would be on my way. _I guess I'll just have to parade around in here like this until something happens._

I didn't really have a problem with that. With the door locked from the inside, I didn't have to worry about anyone barging in, just in case Eggman and Shadow decided to return early.

"Guys, I'm all set in here!" I hollered to the trio outside the door. "I just need to have my clothes cleaned off."

Bokkun yelled back, "Okay! But you have to bring them to us first!"

I paused, fingering the edge of my mouth. "Uh, wait just one more second."

I turned back to the mirror with a smirk, humming quietly as I fidgeted with my wet hair. Bokkun groaned loudly immediately after.

**(Shadow's POV)**

My eyes burned from the waves of heat radiating around me.

The red aura around my body slowly faded back to ebony as the effects of the Blast died off.

The inside of my body felt like it was on fire. I felt the urge to cough as the thick gray smoke seeped through my mouth and slithered down my throat.

Everything that wasn't metal had been singed by the scorching hot debris as it clattered down from what was left of Club de la Glace S Che...or Dry Ice...or whatever it used to be. The ceiling was gone...the tables and bar were gone...the ground had been split down the middle, the severed circuitry from the lights were crackling in white sparks. Everything had been replaced with red flames and dead or unconscious bodies.

My eyes glowed bright with hatred. My power was weakened down to its pit of minor ability. I wasn't sure how I was going to get out of here this way. Was there enough strength in me left to do a Chaos Control? I knew I couldn't count on Dr. Eggman to get me back to his Carrier. He was probably long gone. I'm sure he flew off in his hovercraft the moment he saw the club attendees evacuating, assuming I'd be able to escape on my own.

Before I even attempted a teleport, I glared through the smoke and took several steps forward, scanning the area where Rorschach's body had once stood. Hopefully, he'd been vaporized and there wasn't even the smallest trace of him left in this world.

I then brought my feet to an immediate stop on the cracked ground. The swirls of smoke departed, and in front of me was the Lynx's body sprawled across the floor, his head wedged underneath a burning hot chunk of ceiling. His broken arm was twisted in many different angles off to the side of him. I dipped my head in satisfaction, breathing deeply through my nose. He wasn't vaporized, but he wasn't moving either. I pronounced Rorschach the Lynx dead.

_All I can say is you had it coming._

With a final look at the aftermath of my attack, I decided it was time to ditch this place. I held the Chaos Emerald above my head once more, staggering in the process. The pain hit me again and I almost doubled over and dropped the Emerald. The gash in my torso was still overflowing with blood. The hot liquid had matted my fur together, but was still practically unseen to the naked eye. Being the Ultimate Life form, I was programmed to make fast recoveries no matter what sort of injury was afflicted on me. But, I still felt the pain. And Rorschach might have driven that dagger deeper than I thought.

I sighed angrily. Flashbacks of what just took place melted through my mind like a flipping scrapbook. I pushed them aside and opened my mouth to speak.

_By the power of Chaos, take me back to the Egg Carrier. Take me to Rachel. She should still be in my room sleeping just like I left her. Teleport me there now._

"Chaos Control."

The white light tangled through the edges of my eyes until it completely swallowed the scene of the destroyed club. My mind went through a frenzy for a second, and it became hard to focus. I clutched my wound, but the pressure only intensified the pain.

I growled angrily and took my hand away. The glove was now spotted with a crimson stain.

My white settings started to melt into some place new. But this place didn't have the same atmosphere as my room.

It was bright.

Hot.

And...humid?

Before I knew it, I felt myself falling from thin air. And I ended up falling on something.

No, this something was moving.

It was a person.

It was...

But before I could see for myself, everything went black.

**(Rachel's POV)**

"AAAH!" I screamed out in shock, feeling my body get knocked down to the floor by a dark, blurred force.

I had only caught a glimpse of the figure in the mirror after it appeared. The moment I saw it, I spun around quickly only for the same figure to fall on top of me, completely enveloping me with its swift movement and trapping me under its weight.

I groaned quietly. My head had banged against the floor rather hardly, and now my vision was being replaced by a flurry of dots. But once I blinked them away, I lifted my eyes carefully, swallowing in panic. The warm body had all of its weight pushed against me, like it wasn't trying to hold itself up. I growled and grabbed it by its arms, trying to pick it.

"Get off me!" I ordered breathlessly. "Get off now!"

_Whoever you are, you have no right to just knock me down then refuse to get up!_

But then, my fingers loosened. An epiphany struck me like a ton of bricks. This feeling...this touch...

This tingly, electrifying feeling.

That only happens to me with one person.

I could feel my heart start slamming against the inside of my chest like a wrecking ball.

_Shadow the Hedgehog!_

"S-Shadow?" I cried out in confusion, obeying my instincts and trying to push the hedgehog off me again. But he was too heavy, and my attempts were futile. My hysteria urged me to use more of my strength, even if it left my arms sore. But alas, it was no use.

I dropped my arms to the floor in defeat, turning my head to the side and blushing at our close contact. The only thing separating Shadow the Hedgehog and my nude self was this towel. And even now the towel had loosened and was starting to slip.

"What...what are you-? How did you-? Why are y-..." I choked out, unable to control my voice.

I then paused and forced myself to be silent. I noticed something rather odd. Shadow wasn't fighting me. He wasn't arguing back or trying to get up and off me.

I picked my neck up a little and looked the hedgehog dead in the face. But instead of being met with his crimson red eyes, I saw that his eyelids were plastered over them. He was breathing deeply, as if asleep. I looked down farther and saw that between our pressed bodies, blood had started to trickle down my towel and form a pool between the tiles. It wasn't my own. It was coming from the outside.

I gasped loudly. It was Shadow's blood. He was hurt. He was unconscious.

There was a loud banging at the door, but it wasn't loud enough to break me free of my thoughts.

_Why is Shadow bleeding? What happened to him?_

"Rachel!" Bokkun screamed from the other side.

_Who could hurt Shadow and actually get away with it?_

"I don't know what you're screaming at, but Eggman is back! You need to get out NOW!"

_His body temperature is so high. It's making me sweat._

_Seriously, what has this guy been through?_

"Are you listening to me!"

I bit my lip in worry, craning my neck towards the door. "It's Shadow! He's hurt! He's really hurt!"

I managed to shift myself a little under the hedgehog and used my arms to crawl a few millimeters closer to the door.

"Go get help!

**Now**!"

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**Weellll how many years has it been? I'm sorry I haven't updated. I got writer's block again, and my laryngitis also played a major part -.- But here it is! I hope you like it. I worked my ass off.**

**Anyways, thank you for these 100+ reviews! I know it's not the most reviewed story in all of the fanfiction world. But it really means a lot to me, again since it's my first story. Thank you so so SO much!**

**And right now it's 3 AM and I need to go to sleep. Tomorrow's a Saturday but I'm still tired. So I don't really have time to respond to all the reviews. But I've still read them all. Your compliments and criticism mean everything to me!**

**And also, I would like to add that just in case it hasn't really come to your attention, but this story takes place in the FUTURE. Let's see...Sonic Adventure 2, first game with Shadow and all the events with the moon and such, was released in 2001. So this story is in 2017. I'm not really sure what technology will be like then, but let's just say there haven't been any MAJOR breakthroughs (because I'm not a science geek and I can't pull anything awesome out to represent that era) And I don't know, maybe they invented headphones that are so advanced, they spark when they're cut. -.- Blarg.**

**Thank you, and please review!**


	20. As Black As Your Heart

**Chapter Revised [x]**

* * *

><p><strong>(Rachel's POV)<strong>

_Wake up._

_Please._

_I need you to wake up..._

_Please..._

_Please._

Two cream colored robots hoisted the unconscious Shadow the Hedgehog onto a thin stretcher, moving their claws all over his still body in search of any other wounds or broken bones. Every time they did so much as paused and felt around a certain area more analytically, my heart would beat a little bit harder in uneasiness. But so far, nothing else fatal had been reported. It was just the wound where the hedgehog was bleeding profusely that deemed to need the most crucial care.

We were all standing outside Eggman's room now, gathered around the scene in a jumbled circle. Decoe, Bocoe, and Bokkun all dropped their eyes down on Shadow in uncertainty, awkwardly shifting from side to side in the tiny given space. Eggman stood to the right of me, with his hands jammed against the grooves of his bulging hips. He showed no emotion as he ordered his robots, who I assumed were some sort of doctor robots, to take Shadow to the medical ward before he lost too much blood. His thin, colorless lips were pursed in a sharp line while his mustache stiffly twitched. And me...I just stood there, silently, my eyes glazed over and staring into nothing. My vision became blurry as I lost focus and shut out the rest of the world, delving deep into thought.

I could practically feel my brain sparking from being overworked. It was hard to process what was happening, and still make room for assumptions as to how it all led to this.

_What happened to Shadow?_

_Is he going to be okay?_

_Well...I mean of course he'll be okay! He's the Ultimate Life form for crying out loud!_

_But who would want to hurt the Ultimate Life form in this way?_

_And why do I care so much?_

I then shook my head at my own stubbornness.

_No more denial, Rachel. You have to admit it sooner or later._ _A small part of you is concerned about Shadow._

_Whether it's just for this situation, or in general, it doesn't matter. You are, though. You just are._

And that was undesirably true. Seeing Shadow in this state made something inside me churn. There was this burst of energy that yearned for me to go to the hedgehog's side and help him in any way that I could. But I knew there was nothing I could do, and kept my feet nailed to the floor.

My clothes stuck to my damp body since I hadn't had much time to dry after the whole incident in the bathroom. The clothes themselves were now spotless and displayed no evidence that they had once been splattered with blood. You gotta love Eggman's cleaning technology. Whatever Decoe and Bocoe did to remove the stains, it was genius. Even my pants and cardigan, which had never gotten a single drop of blood on them, looked cleaner than before. And the best part was Eggman never suspected a thing.

The aged scientist curled his fingers around the sky blue Chaos Emerald in his hand, rubbing his thumb against the reflective surface. Shadow had appeared with that Chaos Emerald after materializing out of thin air, right before he fell on me. I assumed that it had toppled out of his grasp after he lost consciousness.

It took me a while to notice the Emerald, but its soft glow eventually drew my attention and led to me discovering it on the floor after I'd managed to get out from underneath Shadow. At that moment, my top priority was to find someone who could aid him since he was hurt badly. So the first thing I did was scramble to my feet and hurry to the door, unlocking it and swinging it open.

I expected to see Decoe, Bocoe, or even Bokkun in front of me.

But instead, I came face to face with an ugly snarling Eggman and nearly jumped out of my skin. In fact, the second I opened the door, he was already standing there like he'd been waiting for some generous amount of time.

_"E-Eggman!" I stuttered in horror, taking a few small steps backwards._

_The doctor's face was twisted with rage. His usual sickening, toothy grin was inverted; the corners of his mouth sank down until they nearly touched his double chin. He didn't even acknowledge me, and instead dashed past me and hurried over to the bloody bundle of black and red fur on the ground, wavering his hand through the humid air. He knelt down by Shadow's side and slipped his hands under him, flipping him over and roughly cradling him in his arms. _

_He paused and fell dead silent for a moment, making sure that Shadow was still breathing. Once he heard the almost inaudible puffs of air rising from his mouth, he sighed in relieved agitation._

_"Oh, Shadow. When will you ever learn," he said grimly. "You're supposed to think before you act, foolish hedgehog!"_

_I gaped on in astonishment, instinctively gripping the edges of the towel around my body to keep it from sliding off. This was something I never thought I would see. Shadow the Hedgehog on the brink of death, with Dr. Eggman looming over him caring more than I ever thought he would._

_"Rachel."_

_My head bounced back at the sound of my own name as it was hissed in a low whisper. I turned my head and saw Bokkun hovering behind me with a look of shock, as well as seriousness covering his face._

_"Get out of there," he said coldly. "Help_ _is coming for him. You don't want to be in the way when it arrives."_

_I_ _raised my eyebrows in surprise. They had already gotten help? They had actually heard me when I shouted a few minutes ago? Well, if that's the case, then I suppose there's nothing left for me to do._

_I swallowed dryly before stepping out of the bathroom, entering the chilled, drafty air on the outside._

Eggman had not said a word to me about how I'd been in his bathroom, or even about me using his shower. I knew that wasn't the main issue right now, but I couldn't help but notice how concerned he was about Shadow's well-being. While it should've been somewhat understandable since Shadow was his grandfather's creation, I never thought Eggman actually possessed caring feelings towards his partner. I thought it was more of a business-only relationship. Plus he never seemed like the remorseful type.

The robots that were tending to Shadow maneuvered their way around us, breaking through the unorganized clutter and started dragging the wheeled stretcher down the long hallway. Shadow lay on top of it limply, face hanging to the side, and appearing almost dead. It was eerie how still he was. Even his breathing was short, and his chest hardly rose a few millimeters away from its initial position. The thought of Shadow dying strangely made the back of my neck prickle. There was so much that I still had to say to him, and it wasn't insults, mind you.

After realizing how serious the situation had become, I silently vowed that before either he or I had the opportunity to die on this expedition, I would try-...no...I would succeed in resolving the conflict between us. No matter what it took and the amount of dignity I had to give up for it, it would be done. Shadow deserved that much after putting up with me for so long.

All I wanted was for him to at least open his eyes. Something that small would reassure me that the best still had a chance to happen. After a few solid seconds, a sudden gust of air forced its way up my nose and slipped out between my lips. I bit the inside of my cheek and decided to break the silence.

"So where are they taking him..." I wondered out loud when the robots had only gotten a few steps away, turning my head slightly in Eggman's direction but never meeting his eyes. I wasn't really directing the question at anyone in particular, but was hoping that the scientist himself would be the one to answer.

Almost as soon as I asked, I mentally smacked myself, realizing that of all the questions I had to ask, I chose the obvious one. One I already knew.

He didn't move from his spot, even though he clearly heard me and responded. "To the medical ward, of course. Shadow may be the Ultimate Life form, and is programmed to heal quickly. But this wound requires extra care. It's too large to clot by itself in time. The robots need to stitch it up and make sure that none of his vital organs were damaged. But rest assured, everything will be okay. He doesn't need any pain inhibitors or excessive time to patch himself up like humans do. His genetic make-up doesn't require any of that. He'll be just fine."

I inhaled deeply while frowning. "What do you think happened to him?" I asked.

Eggman raised his drooping eyes and glared at me with sudden interest from behind his tinted spectacles. Judging by his expression, it appeared that my words might have reminded him of something important; something that escaped his mind after he got all involved in this escapade. He held up one hand and snapped his fingers.

The robots who had been hauling Shadow away paused after hearing the sound and reverted their attention to their creator, who in turn faced them with undying authority.

"Robots," he instructed, "Before I forget and you get too far away, please remove the device from Shadow's ankle and bring it to me."

The robots exchanged confused glances before one of them removed his claw from the railing of the stretcher and lowered it onto the hedgehog's ankle. Sure enough, there was a metallic gadget strapped securely around the limb. It somewhat resembled a watch, but looked like it did much more than tell time, judging by all the buttons and screens. I had never noticed it before. He must've only worn it for this mission.

In one swift movement, the robot swiped the gadget off Shadow's leg and used his wheeled feet to roll over to Eggman, plopping it in his outstretched hand. "There you go, Master Robotnik," he said in a hollow, robotic voice.

Eggman simply nodded, prying his hand away and closing it around the device. "Thank you, that's all I need. Now get Shadow to the ICU and do whatever it takes to stop his bleeding, and revive him if possible. We have far too much work to do and can't let an obstacle like this slow us down. Also, when he awakens, tell him to report to the control room immediately."

The robot nodded and bowed in respect before joining his counterpart and steering the stretcher away until it was completely out of sight. I watched them leave, then shot daggers at Eggman.

I took back what I said about him being caring. If I didn't know any better, I'd say this guy was totally rushing the whole healing process. I knew time was of the essence, but he needed to cut Shadow a break. And that was coming from me.

"Here," Eggman said, nudging me his knuckle before gesturing for me to take the device from him. I looked at him in confusion, eyeing it carefully before wrapping my hand around it and slowly taking it from him. I held it loosely in my grip while turning it over and over, treating it like it had the fragility of wet paper.

The inside of the band was still warm from Shadow's body heat, and I could even detect the electric twinge that I felt between our touch.

Decoe and Bocoe leaned forward a little to take a closer look. "Why did you take the communicator off of Shadow, Doctor?" Decoe asked.

Bocoe hesitated but drew even closer, tilting his head a little in wonder. "Yeah, don't you use those like walkie talkies? Why would it be on his leg then?"

Eggman nodded gingerly, not drawing his attention away from me. He eventually realized that I had no idea what I was supposed to do with the device other than stare at it. He delicately took hold of my wrist and lifted it up higher to his face, releasing me and pointing to a small red button on the side of the main screen.

"You see that there?" he asked. "That's the playback button. I preset this to record up to an hour of audio since I had a feeling Shadow would abandon me like he always does. I know that he'll stop at nothing to get what he wants, and I figured he would resort to extreme measures to retrieve the Chaos Emerald and leave me in the dust. Not that I mind. I'm an old man and even the action we've already had is a bit too much for me," he added.

He then continued. "Anyways, I still wanted to know what he was going to do, and don't favor being unaware. So I thought that this would be a way to see...er...hear his methods played out. Shadow has no knowledge of this, because I didn't tell him when I gave it to him before we left the Egg Carrier. I only said it would keep track of the atmosphere's potency, just in case the air became unsuitable for breathing.

Anyways I installed the recording program and set it on a timer, assuming he would have the job done within an hour. Everything he said and heard is saved on this here little gadget."

He then drew his hand back and left me staring at the communicator in wonder. I just gave him a completely bewildered look.

_Is he implying that he wants me to play back the recording and listen to everything that happened? Is that really okay? It feels like I would be invading Shadow's privacy by doing so._

Decoe, Bocoe, and Bokkun all widened their eyes, getting closer and tightening the circle. It was almost like a group of listeners all lending their intent ears while I was about to tell some interesting story. I fumbled with the communicator again and lifted my eyes back to Eggman, who towered over me with a somewhat serious smile. He gave one nod.

"Go ahead," he urged me.

"Press the button, and let's hear it all for ourselves."

I chewed on my lip, pondering for a moment. And with one last hesitant sigh, I pressed my fore-finger down and clicked the little red button.

**(Sonic's POV)**

"Well, all I can say is it's about freaking time!" Knuckles exclaimed loudly, releasing all the impatience he'd built up over the past month and a half in a matter of seconds. He, as well as me, Amy, and Tails all had our necks craned upwards as we gaped at the new and improved X-Tornado with fallen jaws. The simple plane had completely transformed into a large, detailed, and fairly impressive spaceship.

The original navy-blue plane parts were still present and sat boldly in the middle of the organized mess of machines. But now there were new, silver sections installed all around it, nearly swallowing the plane like an intertwining virus. The cargo area was extended with new seats so more people could fit inside, and surrounding the cockpit were engines and boosters that would help steer the airship through the sky. It looked like the X-Tornado had gone through upgrade heaven and back. I whistled in approval while Amy squealed next to me.

"Nice, pal, real nice," I said, throwing Tails a thumbs-up sign. "You've outdone yourself again."

Amy nodded quickly, her pink quills bouncing swiftly in the process. "Agreed! This has to be the most legitimate form of amazingness I've seen in my entire life! You turned the X-Tornado into a bad-A mother-ship that even G.U.N. would feel threatened by! Oh, Tails, what would we do without you?" she said with a childish giggle. She then ran over to the twin-tailed fox and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him in a tight hug.

Tails grinned modestly and hugged his friend back with a soft laugh. "Ah, thanks Amy. But it was nothing really," he admitted shyly.

Amy drew away from him, still wearing her bright, open-mouthed smile. "You're so wrong. It's...it's everything! You got it all just perfect, you little genius you!" she squealed, pinching his cheek lightly in a tease. The fox chuckled again.

Knuckles walked closer and cut between the two, separating them with his body mass. "Alright, that's enough, you guys. We can celebrate later."

He then turned and glared at Tails. "Listen Tails, you need to get this thing fired up as soon as possible so we can get into space. There's no time to lose. Rachel's depending on us to bring her back and I'm not going to let her and her family down again," he said, tightening one of his fists and resting it against the center of his chest, like he was making a pledge. "I'm willing to stop at nothing until we bring her home to her mother and father. Every second we waste, she's just getting farther away."

Amy's once ecstatic smile had instantly dropped into a scowl, right as one of her eyes twitched distastefully. But then she sighed, twirling a finger around one of her quills and avoided Tails' gaze.

"I hate to admit it, but he does have a point. We're really sorry for rushing you so much, Tails. Honest. But we do need to hurry along and get the X-Tornado started."

Whatever emotion that Tails was feeling at the moment, he simply masked it with a smile. "It's okay. I completely understand. And yes, we'll be leaving in no time. But first, I need to update the software on the monitors so I can-"

"TAILS!" Knuckles bellowed, causing the fox to stop in mid-sentence and stare at him with wide, questioning eyes.

"We've already wasted enough time as it is! You can worry about all the dinky updates later. If it doesn't have to be done, then don't do it! As long as this thing can fly through space and back, we don't need anything else."

Tails lifted an eyebrow. "Um, if you let me finish, I was saying that I need to update the software on the monitors so I can locate Rachel with less difficulty. It's not like she'll just miraculously show up on radar. I wish it were that easy. But once I update the software on the Chaos Energy detectors, I can make the locators more sensitive to the energy so they'll track down the Chaos Emeralds in Shadow's possession and the coordinates will pinpoint his exact location and lead me to whatever galaxy he's in. And assuming that they're together, wherever Shadow is, Rachel will be too."

Knuckles just gawked back at him, obviously embarrassed by how the fox had outsmarted him and made him appear idiotic for throwing an unnecessary tantrum. He let his arms fall to his sides and looked away quietly.

"Oh. Alright then. So how long will it take for you to update this stuff?" he asked in a monotone voice.

Tails smiled slyly with victory, knowing that he'd won the battle of the smarts again. Amy and I snickered in the background. Good ol' Knuckles, still the same impatient character he'd always been.

Tails tried not to be cocky about his intellectual power over the elder echidna and merely continued on with his explanation like any professional would.

"It won't take too long. In fact, all I need is a couple of hours and we'll be all set. You can use that time to your advantage to...I don't know, bring supplies, pack some food, clothes, etcetera."

The three of us exchanged glances and nodded, then turned to leave him to his mechanical duties. Amy headed off to pack make-up, hairbrushes, extra dresses, you know...girl stuff. Knuckles stomped off to the kitchen to pack away all our edibles so we wouldn't starve. As for me, I had nothing to bring or prepare for, so I simply ran up the stairs of the basement that Tails was working in, dashed up another flight of stairs to the second floor, and skidded to a stop in my temporary bedroom. I threw myself on the bed and prepared for a quick power-nap.

While my consciousness might have been lacking at the moment, I was still undeniably stoked that me and the gang would be venturing into outer space soon. I was ready to find Rachel, and find Shadow too. Him and I were in for one heck of a reunion.

A smirk slipped across my features as I let my blue lids drop down over my eyes.

**(Shadow's POV)**

My whole body was suspended in mid-air with my limbs sprawled out to the sides. Every ounce of me throbbed with sickening numbness, and the inside of my throat was so dry, I found it nearly impossible to breathe. It felt like there was a heavy, nonexistent form of pressure weighing down on my head, only a few grams off from completely crushing my skull. I sucked in one raspy gasp of air, cracking my weighted eyelids open and silently willed the unknown pressure to go away, fearing that something was really there and it wasn't just my inner nausea controlling my senses.

After the moist air molecules washed around my lungs, it felt like my entire backside had suddenly made contact with a liquid. I concentrated harder, and figured that the strange substance was simply water. Thin, cold water.

_But...how…_

The moment the icy sensation bit against my back, I arched up in an attempt to avoid it. But it simply rose higher so that I couldn't escape its touch, enveloping the jutted spines on my vertebrae.

_Where is this all coming from? And where am I, exactly?_

The dark water continued rising until it had consumed everything but my head, the tips of my fingers, and shoes. My whole form was encased in the still matter, with pain radiating off my aching muscles, and a light stinging that hammered against my lower chest. I stared up wearily, gritting my teeth in frustration.

Was this supposed to be a dream? Yes, this had to be a dream. This black abyss of nothing was only a figment of my imagination. It had to go away. I could make it go away on my own.

_Wake up, Shadow..._I thought sharply, feeling my body flood with tension as the water rose once more. It made its way around my muzzle and crept up to the edges of my mouth. I took one last breath before pursing my mouth closed as my whole head was swallowed and cut away from the air. Now, I was completely submerged, hearing nothing but a low, distant humming in my eardrums.

_Wake up now!_

But it was no use. I sank deeper and deeper, still unable to move. The weight of the water started to press down on me. My being paralyzed kept me from moving against the freezing temperatures. My heartbeat sped up as I mentally struggled to awaken myself and get out of this strange place. Even with my eyes closed, they burned severely. I was cautious to open them again.

_What if...this isn't a dream? Then why is this happening? Am I dead? No, I can't be dead. I know I can't be. I remember getting out. I didn't die. Rorschach...he died. I killed him. He might have stabbed me, but I made it out alive. This is a mistake. Something must be wrong_.

I couldn't remember past what had happened after I used Chaos Control to warp out of the club. I couldn't recall where I had re-appeared, or even if I made it back to Dr. Eggman's ship at all.

Maybe I really was dead. Maybe the energy in me gave out between transporting. Maybe Rorschach had dipped that dagger in a deadly poison before launching it into my upper abdomen, and the poison had destroyed me from the inside out. So this could mean that I, Shadow the Hedgehog, was really dead.

But somehow, I pictured dying to be a little bit different than this. Because this...I didn't even know what this whole water business was supposed to be.

_But wait...I can't go like this! What about..._

_what about..._

"...Shadow?"

I instantly gasped out a large bubble. My chest burned with relief at the sound of the clear, gentle voice that echoed through my head. For some reason, the voice brought back a sense of nostalgia as I forced my tired, aching eyes open and peered directly ahead.

_Is that...?_ _No,_ _it can't be._

The voice answered to my thoughts.

"Shadow?" the voice repeated, this time with a small twinge of worry.

My lips quickly mouthed the name of the person I believed was speaking to me. Yes, now I knew I had to be dead. That would be the only explanation as to why I was hearing this person's voice.

It was Maria.

"Shadow," the voice whispered more diligently.

I mouthed her name once more, unable to speak underneath the water. _Ma-ri-a. Mari-a. Maria._

_Where are you, Maria. I can't see you. I want to see you, though. Show yourself, please._

"Shadow!"

My heart suddenly dropped. The voice had completely changed octaves, and no longer sounded like the beloved friend that I lost so many years ago. Every last bit of easiness left in me instantly ebbed away.

_This is how you should go._

The silent voice tripped through my mind and ate away at my spiking emotions.

_You deserve to die alone. Unwanted. In a world as black as your heart._

I felt my body starting to flood its capacity with warmth. The hue of the black surroundings suddenly faded into a dark gray, but then continued growing lighter and lighter until it was piercing white and my body was lifted by invisible forces from the water. As soon as I broke the surface, wavelengths of static crackled through my ears before reversing and stopping abruptly. The strange atmosphere disintegrated.

I was waking up...I was leaving this dark place behind for good. I wouldn't be able to see Maria after all...but at least I was alive.

I wasn't sure if I was disappointed or relieved.

My eyelids shot open the moment I gained control of my reflexes. The result was a blurred, hazy white array of light that settled itself around me. The brightness was so intense that I felt the urge to shut my eyes again. However, the fear of falling back into that black water kept me from even doing so much as blinking. Instead, I darted my stinging irises in every direction, looking for any clue as to where I was.

I then noticed a dark, melted stain of a figure sitting next to me. It resembled a person, and I immediately locked my eyes on it, squinting so that my focus would clear faster. The figure still only appeared as a messy swirl of black, white, and brown colors. But as my vision enhanced, I detected two circles of green in the middle of the white tints.

The figure continued to morph itself together like a liquid splatter slowly freezing back into solid form. Before I knew it, my vision had normalized and I found myself looking up at a human girl. My memories returned back to me in clots, and I realized who the person I was looking at was.

Rachel's eyes were wide with shock. Her mouth had fallen slightly open and she had frozen her arm in mid-air. I gaped back at her as the air grew tighter around us from the physical tension.

It was a bit strange, seeing her face again. It felt abnormal to see her calm and still, and not screaming or crying or shouting at me. But just as her eyes started burning acid holes through my own, I instantly remembered the last time I saw those eyes. When I watched them fall shut as her whole body toppled out underneath her, after I had hit her with a Chaos Spear and knocked her out cold. The guilt began pulsating again.

My eyes slowly traveled from her face, down her neck and scanned across her forearm. In her hand, she was holding onto a white cloth that was soaked in some sort of astringent. The strong-smelling chemical hung a cloud around my nose. Judging by its scent, I knew it had to be some sort of disinfectant. I then noted that from the angle from which I was looking at her, it meant I was laying down while she sat beside me. My mind pieced the information together like a puzzle. The white walls indicated that I was in the hospital room, and I was lying in what felt like a lumpy bed.

I then noticed that the posture of her arm indicated she was just about to lay the disinfectant cloth onto my abdomen, right where I had been stabbed. My eyes widened.

_Wait a second. Rachel...is she...trying to help me? Rachel Tower, aiding Shadow the Hedgehog?_

Even though I now fully understood the extent of the situation, my confusion still hung present. Why was Rachel here trying to lay a disinfectant wipe on my wound? Was this on her own free will? It might not have been much, but the small gesture still threw me off. I figured after what happened between us before I left for Rozorus, this girl wanted absolutely nothing to do with me. And could I blame her? I used Chaos Spear on her and knocked her unconscious. So how come she's suddenly taking care of me in a hospital room? Has she lost her mind? Things weren't adding up.

So many inquiries were racing through my head. Rachel still remained completely still, her face expressing how unsure she was on how to explain her actions. I found myself unintentionally glaring at her, and attempted to soften my gaze.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice starting out hoarse but ending with a bit more energy. I hadn't been this genuinely curious in a long time.

Rachel, after hearing my voice, raised her eyebrows and recoiled her arm back to her side, fruitlessly attempting to hide the cloth in her enclosed fist as if covering it now would mean I never saw it in the first place. She broke her gaze away from mine, the muscles in her neck tightening as she swallowed. She looked uncomfortable, and suddenly out-of-place. And it looked like she had chosen not to speak to me; she refused to answer my question. I huffed and sat up straighter in the bed, not in the mood for any stubbornness.

"Hey, why don't you look at me, Rachel," I ordered. But she didn't budge, causing my frustration to grow.

"I said, what are you doing here," I repeated. "Why are you-Agh!" I gasped, cutting off in mid-sentence. A sharp pain suddenly scattered from my wound. I dropped my head down to inspect it, hissing back air through clenched teeth. From my chest down to my stomach, I was covered in thick bandages. Part of the strips were wrapped around me tightly and securely, while other segments looked loosened, and almost exposed the sewing underneath. Maybe that was Rachel's doing. She must have peeled it back some so my wound and the disinfectant could make contact. But what good would that have done? I mean, I was hurting a little...but I could deal with pain. I didn't need her help.

After hearing my short cry, Rachel whipped her head back around and gasped quietly, dropping her eyes down to the same area. "Are you alright?" she asked timidly, looking like she was fighting her instincts to lean forward and get a better look herself. I blinked a few times, holding my breath in my chest and waited for the pain to die down. But hearing the sound of her voice caused me to lock eyes with her once again.

I then paused and took in her appearance. Something about her was very, very different, and it was hard to depict why. I then realized that she didn't look as tired, or beaten, or dirty as she had the last time I saw her. Her hair looked cleaner and less frazzled, her skin was more evenly toned, and even her eyes had lost the tangled branches of blood vessels and were bright and shining. She didn't even look like the same girl I had taken hostage.

Instead of answering her question, I asked her one of my own.

"Why do you look like that?" I asked, resting my weight on my bent elbows against the mattress underneath me.

Rachel frowned at my strange question. "Come again?"

Surely she wasn't unaware of her own new physical changes.

"You know what I mean," I said in agitation, suddenly wishing I hadn't brought up the topic at all. But I couldn't avoid it now. "You look...newer...I guess."

She blinked, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. She suppressed a chuckle in her throat. "Newer, as in cleaner? Well, I did shower in Dr. Eggman's bathroom. Maybe that has something to do with it?" she said sarcastically.

I lifted one eyebrow at her. Was that supposed to be a joke? However, it made sense. It looked like all the grime she'd been covered with had washed away completely. So, the girl couldn't have been lying.

"And who told you it was okay for you to take a shower in his bathroom?" I asked, almost lacing my tone with a threatening entice.

No matter how much pity I remember taking on this girl, rules were rules. And one rule was that she was not supposed to go anywhere near Eggman's room. Not even I was allowed to go in there without consent.

But she didn't seem fazed. She reached over and dropped the cloth from earlier on the bedside table, and brought her arms back, crossing them over one another. "If you must know, Decoe and Bocoe let me. It wasn't my idea, and it wasn't just to _do_ it for your information. I needed to wash the blood off of my stomach. That's all."

Suddenly, my ears perked up and I turned my head slightly in her direction, hardening my eyes.

"You want to run that by me again?"

Rachel looked down, shadowing her face with the downcast of her eyelashes. "What, did your ears get damaged too? I said I only did it to wash the blo-"

Then she paused, her face freezing in terror and regret. Her eyes widened, and her arms seemed to grow more tensely wound together. I didn't move and silently waited for an explanation, inwardly knowing that I would have to force the answers out of her eventually.

She lifted her head upwards to look at me, a glassy, unreadable expression dripped over her features. It was almost like she had just unintentionally revealed a secret.

"Uhh...Never mind that, so how are you feeling?" she said quickly and nervously, straightening her elbows so she could intertwine her fingers.

I growled. I should've seen that coming.

"Don't go changing the subject. I asked a question, so answer me. Now. Why did you have blood on you."

I couldn't help but note the boiling anger that was rising inside of me again. It was that same protective instinct I had felt earlier when Rorschach tried to bargain with me. Something told me this instinct had been triggered the first time I rescued her in Westopolis, and it had gone unrested ever since. If someone hurt her, I would rip their eyes out of their sockets.

Rachel tightened her hands until her knuckles turned white, chewing on the edge of her lip. "No. I don't want to talk about it. Please, Shadow, I asked how you were feeling. You should be glad that I care," she said stiffly, suddenly dropping one arm and tugging downward at her white shirt, around her stomach area.

I growled again. "I don't think you realize how serious I am right now. I might be injured, but that doesn't mean I'll let you get away with hiding stuff from me. I can still get you to talk when you refuse to, even if it means taking drastic measures."

My words came out in a jumble before I could stop them, so I didn't really notice my word choice until it was too late.

This time, something inside Rachel had evidently changed. The moment I finished saying these words, her plain face twisted into a scowl of rage. But there was also a sense of hurt behind it.

"Again...?" she said barely above a whisper.

Her whole body gently jolted now and then, like she was fighting back shivers. Her eyes closed slightly as she scanned the floor. For a moment, I thought I could see them watering. But whatever tears she was about to shed quickly evaporated.

"You would hurt me again?" she asked flatly.

After all the building suspense, I finally sighed out the tension. I should've seen THAT coming too.

"...That's not what I meant. What I'm trying to say is-"

"You would hurt me again," she repeated, cutting me off, and this time it wasn't a question.

"It was your fault..." she took a shaky breath. "You were the reason I ended up covered in my own blood, Shadow. Okay? The reason I have this big scar on my stomach as a result of your Chaos Spear; the reason I had to sneak a shower in Eggman's bathroom so he wouldn't come back and see me with blood-stains all over me and...get mad at you.

And you would do it all again. Just to teach me a lesson? Just to get me to talk when I refuse to? What am I to think of that?

I swear, Shadow the Hedgehog, my opinion of you is always being redefined."

**(Rachel's POV)**

I blew it. I blew the whole 'keep my injury a secret' thing in a matter of minutes. Unintentionally.

Shadow had barely woken up, which was mostly my doing because I started shouting at him upon noticing him thrashing in his sleep, and already I had sold myself out. Well...technically I sold _him_ out. When would I learn to keep my big mouth shut?

Of course, I had originally planned from the beginning to never reveal to Shadow what he had done to me. I listened to the recording on his communicator. I listened to it alone with Eggman, who had eventually shooed the rest of the gang away after he realized where the conversation was leading. The conversation Shadow was having with one of the planet's alien inhabitants had somehow slowly become about me.

Eggman and I stood together, looming over the communicator and listened to their intense exchange of words, the sound of bones being broken, people screaming, and all the way up to Shadow crying out in pain from being stabbed. It was hard to listen to without cringing at how gruesome every small noise was.

As the recording played, my eyes were wide with shock while Eggman's were hard and stern. He was just as surprised as I was. His vision of Shadow getting the Chaos Emerald had been altered beyond recognition. He never expected him to end up in a verbal and physical battle with an alien...over me.

Yes, I heard everything that happened. Even thinking about it gave me shivers that I quickly tried to hide so Shadow wouldn't question it. It was incredibly hard though, knowing that I had nearly become the property of some demented alien mind-reader. And I wasn't sure what I was more perplexed about...the fact that I was almost sold like a slave to said alien, or that when this Rorschach guy took a peek into Shadow's mind, my name instantly came up.

That was another thing that blew my mind. Shadow had actually fought for me. He didn't brush off Rorschach's offer like it was another mere annoyance or minor setback. In fact, it obviously did more than just bother him. Their conversation echoed throughout my head.

_"What do you want with her..."_

_"Well, judging by how much you think about this girl, and the thoughts you have concerning her, I can only imagine how special she is to you."_

The playback ended with Shadow yelling _"Chaos Blast!"_ because then the tape had been cut short after the energy surged through it. The recording somehow remained intact.

I pursed my lips. I had come here, to Shadow's hospital room, to take take care of him the best I could. Even if all I could do was drench a cloth in this pain-relieving solution to reduce the sting on his stitches, at least it would have been something that I'd done for him, since he'd already done a lot for me.

I couldn't stand feeling unhelpful before I found out what went down on Rozorus. Now that I knew how it ended, and how I was probably the main reason Shadow was here in this room, the guilt only intensified. Despite everything we put each other through, in the end Shadow would clearly stop at nothing to make sure I was out of harm's way. And all these theories about his feelings toward me started to crumble when I heard him say he wouldn't let me get away with hiding things. To me, that translated to "If you don't talk, I will hurt you. Again. And maybe deliver it ten times worse this time."

But maybe, that was my paranoia kicking in again. I lightened up.

My mind bubble suddenly burst, and I brought myself back to the real world. Shadow was staring at me intensely. He clearly had no idea what to say. I didn't expect him to apologize or anything.

His eyes were wide with astonishment. I could almost see flames igniting and dancing through the red orbs. And then, almost as quickly as the silence had begun, he was the one to end it.

"Lift up your shirt so I can see it," he said, his voice as strikingly cold and hard as a sharpened icicle.

I blinked a few times. _W-What? It really has to come down to that? No!_

My eyes had begun to water with tears earlier, but my sensitive barriers were growing more and more immune to this new harsh reality, and I had managed to stop them before they spilled over and became visible. However, after realizing I had no choice but to show him the damage, I felt the familiar sting tugging at the rims of my eyelids. I sighed angrily.

I didn't want him to see. I didn't want him to say anything else about it. Couldn't this just blow over?

But I knew I wouldn't get anywhere by resisting, and carefully brought my hands down to the hem of my shirt, hesitantly tugging it halfway up so that my torso was visible. My eyes suddenly pulled away from Shadow's after he had dropped his own to inspect the scar. I averted my gaze down towards it. It didn't look so bad when it wasn't covered in blood, but the skin was still split open and contained a shallow gap. The surrounding flesh was a dark pink. Seeing it almost nauseated me and caused me to quickly yank my shirt back down.

After the material had blocked it off again, Shadow's eyes instantly snapped back up to mine. He looked disturbed, not by the gore but by the mere fact that he was the one who caused the gash. He took a deep breath.

"Rachel..." he said warily, clenching his fists together. Even though I knew he would never admit it, I could see that he felt guilty. It was written all over his face.

Seeing him look and feel so sorry made _me_ feel guilty again. I tried to flash him a reassuring smile. " Shadow, I'm going to be fine," I assured him. "Besides it doesn't even hurt so there's nothing to worry abo-"

"Rachel," he said again, this time with more diligence. "I...I didn't mean for that to happen. It was a mistake on my part. I should've remembered that you're human and you can't withstand too much power. I'm sor..."

His voice suddenly trailed off in mid-sentence, and his face contorted with a slightly pained look.

This time, I couldn't help but genuinely smile. Shadow was trying to apologize. He was clearly bad at it, but I could only imagine how long it had been since the last time he actually apologized for his actions. It was bittersweet.

He took a deep breath and tried again. "I'm sorr..."

Once again, he struggled. He growled and pulled his eyes away from mine, silently cursing himself. But his expression held all kinds of determination.

Something about this sight, about this situation, just seemed too good to be true. About a day ago, Shadow and I hated each other. And now here I was trying to help take care of him while he was still in ICU after being stabbed by an alien at a club, and he was struggling to apologize for using his Chaos Energy on me, knocking me unconscious and gashing me. In fact, our wounds were almost in the exact same spot, and had similar lengths.

I'm not sure what was going on inside of me, but I suddenly burst into a fit of wild laughter, just like I had earlier.

Shadow suddenly transferred his eyes back to me and lifted an eyebrow. His questioning face only made me giggle harder. The scar on my stomach pulsated with a sharp sting from my contracting abdomen, and I quickly clutched it inward with both arms and willed my laughter to go away before I popped a vessel. Shadow still held that cold, yet curious glare on his face. He had never heard me laugh before. Heck, I don't think he had ever seen me smile.

I let out one more chuckle before turning to leave the room.

"Consider your apology accepted," I said with my back to him, resisting the urge to turn back around. "I forgive you."

I thought with a smile_...Let's forget about this. Let's start over. For real this time. I would absolutely love that._

I then began to walk out and stopped at the door frame, resting one hand on it and looking over my shoulder, not meeting Shadow's eyes.

"Oh and by the way, if I were you, I would stay away from clubs for a while. You don't want to go and get yourself hurt again," I said almost jokingly, but also with a hint of truth.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Shadow's mouth had fallen completely open, and laughed softly as I exited the medical unit, letting the door slide shut behind me.

_Yeah, let him figure that one out._

I wrapped one hand around the blue heart on my necklace as I treaded down the hall in the direction of my room. After months have passed, after traveling the galaxy for God knows how long, after significant amounts of blood loss, yelling, screaming, arguing, crying, and all sorts of traumatic experiences, me and Shadow the Hedgehog were on good terms. Hopefully, it was worth it, and hopefully it would last.

I sighed heavily, encasing the little cerulean trinket in the heat of my hand.

Finally, things were starting to look up.

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**(A/N) I don't have a lot of time to discuss this chapter. So I'm gonna leave it at REVIEW please! And hopefully you will :)**

**If you have stuck with this story since Chapter 1, I would like to thank you for that. I'm sorry for being a snail when it comes to updating. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. It was kind of hard to write but I think I pulled through.**

**And quick side note, next chapter we're going to get a new character in the story. Not an OC, mind you. A character from the Sonic franchise. Can you guess who it is?**

**Stick around for the next chapter. Thank you, byee!**


	21. Hear no Evil, See no Evil, Speak no Evil

**(Travis' POV)**

_-Ding Dong-_

My eyes widened at the sudden interruption and peeled away from the television, directing towards the door. As if on cue, I emitted an irritated growl.

_Are you kidding me? More media? Haven't they gotten enough out of us? Don't they ever know when it's enough...?_

I silently ignored whoever was at the door and forced myself to resume watching my television show. My day had been going by at a fairly good rate, but I knew answering the door only to be greeted with violent flashes of light from the reporters' cameras and having microphones shoved in my face would instantly ruin my mood.

_They need to mind their own business. They need to stop asking us about Rachel. Rachel this, Rachel that. Get a clue, people. She is **my** sister, not theirs. They have no reason to be concerned. I wish they would all just go away. Just disappear._

_-Ding Dong-_

My blood started to boil and my posture stiffened. _They're still out there? Why can't they take the hint!_

My parents weren't home. They were in Westopolis with Grandpa, and Emma and I stayed home with my mom's friend, Christine. Christine was a family-friend who always baby-sat us when my parents had to leave on short notice. Right now she was in my room, probably napping with Emma. I was alone out here. I had no way of getting the reporters to leave by myself. All I could do was sit here, wait, and pray that they would leave on their own.

I grabbed a couch pillow off the cushion next to me and pressed it up against the lower half of my face, biting into it to control my anger. These reporters had a lot of nerve, coming back to my house after all the trouble they'd caused. Because of them, I couldn't go outside and play with my friends anymore. Because of them, we always had to have the windows shut with the blinds closed so no one would disturb us or try to question us through the glass. And yes, this had happened.

Because of them, we couldn't go anywhere; no restaurants, no movie theatres, no Twinkle Park. Summer vacation was coming to an end, and school would be starting soon. Would we even be allowed to go back there too?

They had us completely isolated in our own home, yet they still came by to ask questions. They didn't care simply because they were rude and selfish. I hated every last one of them.

Losing my sister was a personal issue. It was these people who publicized it. It was all over the internet, on newspapers and bulletin boards, even slapped across the neon banners in Station Square. It was the topic on all the recent talk shows and radio shows. We couldn't listen to the radio or watch the news anymore, because all we would hear was more information and/or false rumors about our Rachel.

Even when celebrities were being interviewed on T.V., a question like "Have you heard about the Train 41 Incident, and about the girl who was kidnapped? Isn't it just devastating?" would come around sooner or later. And this entire ordeal wasn't just a local, or even a national thing. My sister had become an international sensation over the course of the last few months. But I get that. I mean, how often does someone get captured by a Sonic look-a-like who wields a gun and then disappears off the face of the planet?

And why did it have to be _my_ sister that it happened to?

Couldn't it have been someone else's sister?

Then there was Princess Elise, who lived all the way in Soleanna. She managed to weasel her way into the issue too.

She released a statement about how sorry she felt for the whole Tower family and that she 'prays to the Gods' every night that Rachel will be brought home somehow and reunited with all of her loved ones. She also said that she follows this small ritual, where she lights these candles every night to go along with her prayer. It was a custom of her people. Apparently, five large candles were lit outside her kingdom. Each one symbolized something different; strength, patience, love, reunion, and hope. In this case, it was meant to represent the fire in Rachel's soul and how the flames would never die, and only dance in sync of one another for as long as she was alone and within separation of the ones she has spiritual connection with. Yeah...I didn't get it either.

Everyone else saw it as something beautiful and praised the princess for going out of her way to perform such a selfless act. But to me, it was a bunch of nonsense. Anyone could light a freaking candle. It's not like it actually did anything. In fact, it's total crap. Royalty or not, Princess Elise needed to shut up and mind her own business. The way I saw it, this situation did not concern her in the slightest, and we didn't need her sympathy. She knew nothing of Rachel's soul. Absolutely nothing.

I hated this. I hated this more than anything.

_-Ding Dong Ding Dong Ding Dong Ding Dong-_

My rage boiled over. _That...does it!_

I ripped the pillow away from my face and threw it across the room. "GO AWAY!" I screamed, squeezing my eyes shut and ducking my head into my lap. I knotted my hands in my hair and pulled at the roots, trying anything to block at the chime of my house's doorbell. "Go away go away go away!"

Silence followed.

I snarled like a wild animal, knowing the people outside hadn't left because there had been no footsteps.

"Don't any of you get it? We're sick of you! We're sick of all of you! Can't you just leave us alone! You're making it ten times worse, you stupid, selfish reporters!" I hollered, struggling to tame my own voice as tons of remarks burst from within me.

"Just leave my house and don't come back! And if you do, I swear you'll be sorry!"

There was an eerie silence on the other side of the door that hung over while I struggled to maintain my breath. I tried to imagine what these reporters were doing right now. It'd gotten awfully quiet.

_They're quoting me, aren't they? Yes, that's what they're doing. They're stuffing their noses in their little notebooks and jotting down every word I say. This is probably going to be a headline in tomorrow's news. I can see it now...9-Year Old Tower Child has Breakdown in His Own House...But you know what? Fine! Let them do it! I don't care, no...not in the slightest! I don't! I** don't**!_

"I-I'm sorry, but I'm not a reporter," a little voice said, muffled by the wood of the door.

My defensive stance instantly ceased and I looked up.

The voice spoke again, but this time with a bit more courage. "I'm just your neighbor, silly goose."

My eyebrows heightened. What...? My neighbor? I don't even talk to my neighbors. Why would one be at my door? They knew we didn't like to have visitors come by here anymore. I mean, we never really told anyone not to come by, but did we need to?

Hesitantly, I lifted myself off the couch and slowly prodded over to the door. As I neared the frame, my mind went into a scramble.

Wait, this could be a trick. The person at the door did sound like a child, but that could be a reporter disguising their voice. They could be pulling a fast one! They wouldn't really stoop that low, would they? Before I could stop and think twice, my curiosity got the best of me and my hand made its way around the door knob, tugging the entity of it wide open.

The hot, afternoon breeze washed over like a sharp breath on my face. It took me back for a moment, but then I focused my eyes on the person in front of me.

A young girl, who was about half my height, was standing bashfully on the center of my doorstep. She had short, curly blonde hair that shimmered and reflected the gold rays of the sunlight behind her. Her eyes were wide and innocent, filled with swirls of foamy blue. Her nose was dainty, and her lips were narrow and rosy. She was wearing a light-pink summer dress and white sandals. Her whole appearance resembled that of a porcelain doll.

I had never seen this girl before in my life, but her aura had me under the impression that she was someone kind and meek. Someone who meant well after all. And I had been screaming at this not too long ago.

Before she had a chance to speak, I shot my questions at her.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

The girl looked up at me fearfully, but overrode it with a bold grin. "Uhm, good afternoon, sir! Would your name happen to be Tower? Or have I possibly made a mistake in the address? Although I was certain this was the Tower household. Because, you see, my house isn't too far away and I thought-"

"Yes, my name is Tower," I said quickly in annoyance. "Travis Tower. Can I help you?"

My mouth was saying 'Can I help you', but my eyes and body language were telling the girl to clear out before I got to the count of three. Even though she was just a little girl, I'd been having trouble trusting anyone outside of my family for the past few months, and she was no exception.

The girl was oblivious to all of this and flashed a sweet, carefree smile. "No, Mr. Travis, sir! It is I who came to help you! Well, not really help, see. I know your family is going through some difficult times, and I can only imagine how stressful your lives have been since...well...you know...basically what I'm saying is I'm aware of all that your family has been through."

I blinked, utterly shocked with this girl. She had not a regretful bone in her body. For everyone else, the topic of my sister was taboo to anyone who wasn't directly involved. But this girl was going on about it like it was just a casual chat about the weather.

She continued on. "My name is Melody Hughs. I'm six years old, and I just graduated kindergarten! I live on the street behind your house with my mom and baby brother. We heard about what happened to you and really wanted to help somehow. But, since all this craziness is more of a personal thing for you, we decided to keep our noses in our own business, you know? Just to save you the trouble."

I couldn't help but nod at this. "Yes, exactly. I like how you think. I wish all the reporters felt the same way. They're pretty annoying," I said bitterly.

Melody's smile didn't even falter. "Uh-huh, I couldn't agree more!" she said. "Reporters are stupid and ugly. But anyway, I'm sorry for turning up so suddenly and disrupting your peace! I just wanted to give this to you."

She then looked down at the tiny woven basket in her hands, and I gawked at it in confusion. Had she been carrying that this whole time? I didn't even notice it before. I just blankly stared at the basket, not sure how to react. _So...she's giving me a basket. Uh, thank you?_

But then, I looked inside the basket and saw a plaid patterned cloth neatly folded over itself. Melody delicately tugged at the corners of the cloth and let it unravel, revealing a bundle of assorted vanilla cupcakes. Each one was iced with dark blue frost. My mouth watered over as the butter cream scent wafted through my nostrils. They looked absolutely delicious, and smelled even better than they looked, if that was possible. The last time I had cake was during Rachel's 16th birthday, but even then it was extremely rare for anyone in our family to have sweets. Our mom never baked.

I tried to hide the spark of hunger in my eyes, but Melody picked it up and giggled.

"Yes! Victory! I knew you would like them!" she said triumphantly. "The icing is blue, just like Sonic the Hedgehog! Me and my mom baked a bunch of them, and then saved twelve to give to your family because we thought you could use them!"

I couldn't help but smirk._ Heh. Blue like Sonic the Hedgehog. I like it._

My hand had made its way through the air, towards the handle of the basket so I could accept it from her. But I stopped and glared down at her, feeling that dark, angry feeling suddenly starting to creep its way back into my heart.

"...Wait...What did you say?"

She tilted her head to the side questioningly, not losing her big, baby-toothed grin. "Erm...We...thought you could use them?" she repeated without hesitation. She then cleared her throat and rephrased her sentence. "What I mean is, you guys probably haven't had any time to bake cookies or cakes or anything and I thought these cupcakes would make everything a little bit better!"

I bore my teeth angrily.

She laughed. "My family and I, we really are sorry for your loss. Or...I wouldn't even call it that, because we want to believe that Rachel Tower will come back! Yes, indeed! But it's still sad nonetheless. We pray for you and your family every night and for Rachel too! It truly is a sad thing..."

I clenched my fists.

_I don't want your sympathy...I don't need your sympathy..._

_Get out of here...Get OUT!_

And without another word, I stepped back and slammed the door shut, right in young Melody's face. On the other side, I could hear the sound of the woven basket dropping to the floor, and all of its contents spilling out with a squish onto the concrete.

**(Rachel's POV)**

My mind was dazed. Every time I even did so much as blinked my eyes, a strange sense of illness would overcome me.

_What's happening? Where am I?_

Outside, the sky was swarmed by a collision of dark clouds. Each one was brimmed with crimson lining as mutated creatures rained down onto Westopolis.

I immediately recognized them as the aliens whom everyone spoke about. The ones who tried to take over the human race.

_The Black Arms._

My heart hit the floor.

They let out monstrous roars as they landed onto the streets, their weight cracking the cement in. Their bodies smashed through buildings and traffic lights. The blaring sound of sirens lashed throughout the air. It was deafening, but somehow not loud enough to drown out the agonizing cries of all the Westopolis civilians. Men and women sprinted for their lives, flailing their arms about and evading the destruction and death around them. Some had dropped to the ground of the broken streets, paralyzed in fear, while others tried desperately to outrun the surrounding monsters. Children were wandering hopelessly alone in search of their parents, screaming until their faces were glistening red, unaware that their parents were probably dead or trapped under debris with no means of escape. There were large puffs of smoke that hovered throughout the air as a result of burning buildings, cars, and people. The smog was hanging thickly at the rims of the atmosphere.

The Black Arms were invading...the world was ending...it was over for good.

The smell of dirt, blood, searing metal, and burnt skin morphed together and filled the air, shooting up my nose and flooding my head with a pounding ache. My father sucked in the air through his mouth before shoving me aside and yanking the curtains on the window shut, blocking off the outside world and shielding the room in distorted darkness.

I didn't know where we were, but it wasn't anywhere I had ever been before. We were inside a room in a tall building, and from what I could make of the world and how it looked beneath us, we were on the highest floor. The room looked like that of a hotel's, except it was stuffy and layered with pepper gray dust, and the walls were covered in splatters of a dark substance. Something in my heart told me those splatters were blood.

I felt shaking arms wind around me from behind, and instantly recognized the presence as my mother's. I gasped breathlessly.

_Mom...?_

It took my breath away for a moment, to feel my mother's tender touch after going so long without it, and to feel her hugging me from behind while taking in that sweet aroma that always hung around her. But the natural sweetness of her musk was watered down and mixed in with the odor of salt...conceived from her sweat and tears. She pulled me backwards with her, swallowing down her cries. She pressed her back against the corner of the small room and collapsed into an upright sitting position, pulling me down in front of her. I instantly huddled closer to her and pressed my head into the crook of her neck, desperately seeking any form of comfort as I began to shake.

"Mom...? What's happening?" I squeaked. My voice was several pitches higher than normal, but I was too distracted to care.

Instead of answering, my mom buckled her entire body inward and bit down on her lip to stifle another hysterical sob. She absent-mindedly smoothed down the wrinkles in my clothes with her quivering hand, tightening her grip around me with the other. I followed her hand as it traveled down the side of my sleeve, and noticed for the first time how small my body was. I inspected myself, and found that I was wearing light-purple shorts and a t-shirt that was red and had a chipped white graphic of a puma on the front.

_A puma? Wasn't that my school's mascot...in elementary?_

My eyes quickly scanned all over the rest of me, from the top of my softly-defined shoulders down to the tips of my pink, size twelve tennis shoes. I would've been shocked, but my mind was numb from all the gritted exposure. I realized then, I wasn't sixteen year old Rachel Tower anymore. I still had the same mentality as my regular self. But now, I was inside the body that I had at four years old.

How this was even possible, I didn't know.

I lifted my head and took a good look at my father as he emerged from the twisting shadows. Behind his panicked face, I could see the fresh youth in his eyes and skin. He looked at least ten years younger, as if his body had gone back in time as well. I was about to turn around and see if my mother had the same effects, when I felt her bury her soggy face into the back of my head, sniffling loudly.

"Just close your eyes, Rachel," she said between weeps. Her warm breath sifted through the maze of my tangled hair as she sobbed once more. "Close your eyes...cover your ears...and don't make a single sound."

I didn't question her. I obediently picked up my tiny hands and dove them under my hair, clamping them over my ears, and tightened my lips. I closed my eyes and allowed my vision go black, but continued to move the irises violently in all directions under my eyelids.

I could hear an unrecognizable voice chanting in the back of my mind. It spoke in a hushed, rhythmic whisper.

_Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil._

Urgent footsteps make their way over to my mother as the ground violently shook underneath us. I was tempted to open my eyes again, when I heard someone shout _"NO!"_ in protest, preventing me from doing so. The voice had not belonged to my mother or father. I had no idea who it was.

My confusion was becoming more overwhelming by the second. I heard a soft grunt as my father dropped to his knees in front of us. It was his footsteps that I had previously heard, and now he was kneeling down in front of us. I felt his arms wrap around the both of us, his hands locking behind my mother's back. His body wracked with angry, and also frightened sobs as he cradled us to himself. My mother lifted one hand and wrapped it around him as well.

I was enveloped in their arms, showered in their tears, yet suddenly felt a stronger sense of safety. This was my family. They would protect me. They wouldn't let anything happen to me. If we had truly gone back in time, then Emma and Travis had not yet been born. I was their only child...their only priority. These were my parents, and I loved them with all my heart. If this was how I would die, then maybe it wasn't as unpleasant as one might assume. At least I was with the people I loved.

But at the same time, I felt extremely vulnerable in my position, being unable to see or hear what was happening in my surroundings, and now I'd lost the privilege of speaking as well. What would happen if I disobeyed? What would happen if I opened my eyes and ears, and spoke?

Then I heard it again.

_Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil._

I just remained where I was, keeping my hands pressed over my eardrums even though I desperately yearned to tear them away. All I wanted to do was jump up and hug my family back. I wanted to see them, I wanted to hear their voices, I wanted to tell them I love them. I was contemplating on doing all these things. If the world was truly going to end, which is what I believed was about to happen, then what did I have to lose?

Suddenly, the ground quaked again, but this time much harder than before. I felt my parents' limbs instantaneously slip away from me. I parted my lips to release an uneasy breath, after realizing that somehow I was now officially alone. I could feel it in my bones. The presence of my parents no longer existed around me. My heart began to burn with sadness and fear.

_Mom? Dad? Where did you go!_

My mom had been backed up against the wall, and we'd all been in the corner of the room. So how could they have fallen away from me? It wasn't possible. It didn't make sense!

_No, I can't lose you!_

I whimpered and started to remove my hands away from my ears and open my eyes, but the same _"NO!"_ from before clapped through my mind like thunder.

_Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil._

If something was happening to my parents, if this _evil_ had taken them away, then I would want to know! I couldn't just sit here, I needed to do something about it! I deserved to spend these last moments with them. I couldn't lose them! Not after I had just gotten to be with them again. It wasn't fair!

The mysterious voice spoke again. It was cold, unforgiving, and strict.

_No._

_Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil._

I bit down on the edge of my tongue, struggling to contain my fear. My eyelids trembled in an effort to remain closed as tears started to build behind them, and my fingers quivered around my ears while clamping down on them like spiders. The silence was so heavy around me. I had never felt so alone in my life. Quietly, and almost regretfully, I gained the courage to shatter the silence.

"Hello?"

The ground sliced open under my knees. I could hear the awful, splitting noise it made, even though it was muffled behind the barriers of my palms. The crack ran directly in between the space underneath my body and continued to stretch forward until it hit the diagonal corner on the opposite side of the room, severing it in half. The rest of my body jolted as I let out a bloodcurdling scream, ripping my hands off my head and grabbing a handful of the carpet underneath me, one hand on each side of the large crevice. I felt like if I tried hard enough, my strength alone could hold the two sides together before the whole floor fell apart and collapsed. By now, my eyes were open and accumulating with more burning tears. I used this time to my advantage and whipped my head around in search of my parents. That voice in my head kept repeating its chant, but now its words were jumbled, and running over one another.

_Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil._

_Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil._

_Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil._

And then, it abruptly stopped.

A force from outside crashed through the window, shattering the glass and letting it fly outward like a splurge of water. The shards sliced through the air in my direction, but gravity allowed them to drop to the floor only a few inches away from striking me, while some fell between the gap in the floor and rained down out of sight.

I screamed again, and tightened my hold on the carpet, digging my nails into ever last of the tiny coarse hairs. When the glass had cleared, a dark figure emerged from the window frame and jumped to the floor.

My eyes widened, allowing more tears to fall freely. The figure lifted its head slowly and noticed me for the first time since it had arrived. Its form became more and more clear until it took on the shape of a hedgehog. Even though all I could see was its silhouette, I could make out a sickeningly evil grin on the figure's face and its glowing red eyes. It let out a soft, devious laugh.

My heart sunk with realization. I knew that voice anywhere.

This wasn't happening. Something like this was too awful to be true.

"Sh...Sh...Sha..." I choked out. It felt like my airways were closing off. I started to hyperventilate.

Shadow the Hedgehog stood there for a few seconds before taking slow, menacing steps towards me. The sounds of dying screams and wailing sirens went off in the distance behind him. In his hand, he was clutching a shining revolver and his finger was applying a dangerous amount of pressure on the trigger, despite the fact that he had it aimed off in a different angle. My eyes gradually moved upward to follow his own as he got closer.

_What's going on? Was Shadow...killing people with that gun? What's he doing here? How did he find me!_

Since I was in my four-year-old body, Shadow now towered over me at an intimidating height. Once he was close enough that I could make out his whole face, he grinned once again, revealing a pair of sharpened fangs that looked ready to tear through my very soul.

"Well well well, what do we have here?" he said. His voice was definitely still Shadow's voice, but now it had a malicious twinge to it. He sounded ready to kill.

"What's the matter, little girl? Are you all alone?"

My eyebrows furrowed. _Does he not remember me?_

_Oh, right. This is the past. So technically he hasn't met me yet..._

The cracked ground underneath me shook and broke farther apart. Part of my body was suspended between the small space of air.

_Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil._

I ignored the unknown voice this time, and took a deep breath to calm myself down. The tears glided down my cheeks and left hot trails.

I didn't know what to say to him. He didn't know who I was, but maybe there was still the chance that I could talk him out of doing whatever was on his mind.

I finally forced myself to speak while clinging onto the carpet for dear life.

"Shadow, I...I don't know what's happening..." I whimpered, "but, please. Please don't hurt me."

When I said hurt, I really meant kill. I was praying that he wouldn't _kill_ me. Shadow wouldn't do that, would he? I was a stranger to him now, but he wouldn't actually kill an innocent young girl, would he?

But I was wrong. This wasn't the same Shadow the Hedgehog I knew. After I said this, a psychotic glint formed in his blood-red eyes. He lifted the gun higher and pointed it directly at me.

A sharp chill ran down my spine. I shook my head in disbelief, all the while feeling the ground grow farther and farther apart. My legs and arms started to stretch along with it.

He clicked the safety off the gun and readied himself to shoot. Before he managed to, I let out an angry cry and dipped my head downward, breaking my gaze away from his. I gasped out the last two words I could muster.

"Shadow...why!"

At the sound of this, Shadow paused for a moment, and I looked up to find his features had gone blank. But then, he let out a long, evil cackle.

"If there's anything you should know about me, it's that I leave _no_ survivors."

I shook my head again, but this time in protest. "N-No," I said. "That's not true! You helped me before! Like when those men attacked me! You actually helped me many times!"

I tried to see past the demented look on his face and find the sane Shadow inside him. This Shadow was the kind of psycho that I thought he would be when I met him. This was the cold-blooded murderer I'd imagined him as my entire life. This was my biggest fears come true.

But, this was not who he was. I knew that for a fact.

"Shadow, it's me, Rachel!" I yelled hopelessly. I knew it was impossible to refresh his memory on something that had yet to happen, but it was worth a shot.

"I know you're in there somewhere! Please snap out of it! I know you wouldn't do this to me. I know you wouldn't! I trusted you!"

Then the ground broke apart again, and this time my body fell completely through.

"Aaahh!" I screeched loudly as I toppled through. I clawed the floor with both hands on one side while my body dangled off the edge. My weak arms were throbbing with adrenaline. I didn't stop to waste any time, and began kicking my legs back and forth, pushing my strength to its limit so I could climb back up.

_Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil._

_Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil._

_Hear no-_

Shadow threw his gun down, reaching over the edge and grabbed both my wrists rather harshly. The strange electric feeling trickled through my veins, melting off from his touch. I gasped and looked up at him in surprise. For a moment, I almost smiled with bitter relief. _He's going to save me after all. I knew the real Shadow was still inside him. All I had to do was talk sense into him. Everything is gonna be alright._

But then I saw it in his eyes. He had no intention of saving me

A dark flicker ran through his crimson eyes. He smirked and lowered his head so that our faces were only a few centimeters apart.

"Just thought I'd point out that you trusted me..." he said simply, "when you don't know anything about me."

His iron hold on me suddenly became stronger. I winced in pain and looked back up at him with big, frightened eyes.

He grinned. "Biggest mistake of your life."

The electric tingle faded all at once. Shadow released my wrists and allowed me to slip through the crack. My body began free falling.

I couldn't scream. I was too shocked and scared to make even the tiniest sound. My mouth just hung open while my matted hair flew around my face. I fell through several more openings in lower floors, watching Shadow and his maniacal smile morph into a haze before it completely disappeared from view. My surroundings became hotter and hotter, like I was nearing fire. Like I was nearing the pits of hell.

_Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil._

My tears flew out of my eyes and shot upwards. My stomach was churning with a God awful feeling.

_He let me die. Hell, he practically killed me..._

_Shadow...is letting me die._

Shadow's crazed laugh echoed through my head as I fell down to my death.

* * *

><p>"...<em>Aaahhhh<em>!" I screamed. My arms and legs flew outward, tussling the blanket on top of me.

"AAHHH!" A familiar voice squeaked in response, followed by the sound of metal clanking against the tile floor.

I spun my head around and saw Bokkun gaping back at me like I'd grown seven heads. He had dropped a tray of nutrient bars and bottled water, all of which were now sprawled across the ground. Some of the nutrient bars were broken into pieces while others remained intact, and the bottle rolled in my direction with the water sloshing around inside. I pushed the sheets on the bed off me and pulled myself up.

My dizziness caused me to instantly trip. I nearly careened face-first with the floor, but caught myself almost as quickly as it had happened. My forehead was coated in sweat, and my eyes were still watering with fresh tears that I quickly blinked away.

_Deep breaths, Rachel. It was all a dream. Well, a nightmare rather. But nonetheless, it wasn't real. You can calm down now._

Bokkun's beady eyes continued to strain at me as he drew back in terror.

"What the heck is wrong with you!" he demanded. "Why did you scream like that out of no-where? Are you_ trying_ to give me a heart attack?"

I swept the back on my hand across my brow, inhaling deeply. Speaking of heart attacks, mine was still pounding in my chest like a mallet to a nail.

"I'm sorry, Bokkun," I said in genuine apology. "I was...having a bad dream."

I then frowned.

_A really, really bad dream._

"I didn't mean to scare you."

Bokkun scoffed and turned to hover out of my room, leaving the mess he left on the floor unattended. "Whatever. Enjoy your dinner," he said plainly.

He flew through the door and let it slide shut behind him. Once I was sure he was out of earshot, I groaned loudly and fell backwards onto the mattress, still shaken from the nightmare I'd had.

The dream had felt ridiculously real. It was so vivid, so convincingly fluid. It hadn't seemed surreal in the slightest. I was even a little shocked myself to find out that none of it actually happened.

Looking back, hardly anything that happened in my dream made sense when I put it all together, but I didn't question it. I mean, my whole world didn't make sense anymore anyway. This was hardly unusual on my 'Rachel's Weird Adventures' scale.

I tried to stand up again, but fell back down in pain.

"Ow," I hissed, clutching the area on my abdomen where I was injured.

It'd been a few days since Shadow was put in the medical ward, and as expected my own gash had not fully healed over the short extent of time. But the wound itself had closed over and now sported a long, sandpaper-textured scab that remained tender to touch and movement. And Shadow, whose injury was far more severe than mine, was probably already healed by now without a single trace left on him.

_And to think I'm the one who's going to carry this scar for the rest of my life. Stupid Ultimate Life Form and his healing power genetics..._

Once my posture was upright again, I stepped over to where the tray and the things on top of it had fallen. I knelt down and began picking all the pieces up, placing them back on the tray which had landed right side up.

I closed my eyes for a moment and attempted to shake all the negative thoughts that were circulating through my mind. But no matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise, my heart kept telling me that maybe, just maybe, my dream was an omen.

Was it trying to tell me that Shadow really was still a monster? Even though my view on him had altered to a more positive outlook, a deep uncertainty was stinging inside of me.

My dream had taken place in the era when the Black Arms invaded, twelve years ago. While the nightmare was something that my mind conjured up on its own, the Black Arm invasion really did happen. To my knowledge, I knew that Shadow aided the Black Arms and their overlord, Black Doom, during that awful time in history where Earth nearly fell under their control. At least, that was what my Grandpa told me.

Now I've come to accept that my G.U.N. grandfather had a tendency to exaggerate his side of the story, but he never actually _lied_. He was an honest man, from the time that he was a boy on the ARK to the time that he'd found out about Shadow's return. Everything he said was nothing but solid truth. Despite going against the majority of what he had raised me to believe about the Ultimate Life form, I had no trouble believing that Shadow had indeed helped the Black Arms in their so called world domination before turning on them. But at the same time, it was a lot to absorb.

What happened in my dream might not have happened to me, but it may have happened to someone else. Maybe it happened to another four year old girl in Westopolis, and my dream was just me reliving it in her shoes. Dreams work in mysterious ways, so you never know, right? But was Shadow really ever that evil? Maybe at one point in time he was...but that doesn't mean he would turn on me now...right? I grabbed both sides of my head and dropped my face with another groan.

_Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil._ What exactly did that mean? Was it a warning, perhaps?

I had painful flashbacks of my nightmare, and finally mounted to one simple conclusion.

Maybe, it truly was a mistake to trust him.

After taking a moment to recollect myself, I finally dropped my arms down by my sides and breathed in softly. I picked up the tray and stood straight once more, walking over to the bedside table to set it there properly.

Before I made it across the room, I heard a knock at the door. I froze in my tracks and looked towards the sealed opening with a hint of annoyance.

_What, did Bokkun forget something? If he comes back in here he better not knock this tray over again. It's bad enough I have to eat the crumbled remains of these nutrient bars with nothing to replace them with. I know it's better than nothing. But still._

"One second, Bokkun," I said, stepping towards the table. It was odd that Bokkun wasn't just barging in like he usually did, and actually had the courtesy to knock first before entering this time. Not that I could complain. Right now, the last thing I needed was for him to create more havoc. I was already jumbled enough as it was.

Then, a dark voice cut me off.

"It's me, Shadow."

_...Clank!_

I gasped and swung around, nearly jumping out of my skin. My arms went limp and I lost my grip. The tray and everything on top of it fell once again, but this time the contents crashed down around my ankles. I peered at the door, feeling a strange, unknown fear build inside of me. My palms glazed over in sweat, and goose bumps rose all over.

_Oh God, you've got to be kidding me. Shadow? He had to show up now? Why now!_

"What just happened?" Shadow asked with mild empathy, after hearing the metal of the tray hit the ground.

I was extremely still for a second, but then snapped out of it and bent down, quickly picking everything back up from the floor and clasping it to my chest in an unorganized clutter. I then threw all of it noisily on top of the bedside table and took a moment to calm myself down...again.

"N-nothing! Hold on..." I answered shakily, stumbling over my own legs as I made my way back to the bed. I sat down on the spot where I had slept and tried to look as casual as possible.

_Loosen up, Rachel. Shadow's very observative. He'll notice something's off if you let your guard down even for one second. Trick him into thinking nothing's wrong. You have to hide the fact that you just...well...had a traumatizing nightmare about him. Conceal anything and everything._

I smiled with confidence. _That should be easy enough. I can do this! I can do this!_

"Okay, you can come in now, Shadow," I said.

But my smile instantly dropped.

_Crap, I can't do this. I can't do this!_

It was too late for me to object. The door slid open, revealing the ebony hedgehog who'd been waiting on the other side. My uneasiness kept climbing as he stepped into the room. I let the moment sink in. It was the first time that Shadow and I were alone, and un-injured for that matter. Well, if you don't count my scar. The tension suppressed me.

_This time will be different. Shadow and I can talk like two ordinary, civil people. There doesn't need to be any violence or Mono y Mono. This can work._

"...Wow, you r-really have the worst timing you know," I said awkwardly, rubbing the back of my head as I looked at him. I hoped that it would serve as a friendly greeting to him, even though there was a hint of truth in my statement. Shadow always showed up at the worst possible time. It was becoming his trademark.

But he was clearly not amused. His expression held everything but friendliness. He was frowning, as usual, but there was a strange, almost interested look hidden in his eyes. I was too consumed in my own thoughts to worry about it, but I did notice it for a split-second.

I glared at him.

Those eyes. Those endless pools of scarlet. Ruby red. Blood. Anger. Those pools of hatred, fury, and threat...

My eyes widened. I could see it.

The monster I saw in my dreams. The same one that let me die. The one who 'left no survivors.' He wasn't just in my dreams anymore. He was standing right here in front of me.

I could see the evil.

My teeth gritted. It was difficult, but I knew I had to look past all of that the best I could. I tried to overlook any small trace of badness left in him. He saved my life at least three times already, so that means the cruelty must have extinguished itself by now, right? Right.

But the scar on my stomach said otherwise. I almost clutched it protectively, but refrained from doing so.

The evil that I sensed in him now was the same evil that had haunted me in my nightmare. This beast in him existed once before, and it might still be residing inside him for all I know. I squinted my eyes at him, feeling my lip tremble once. Yes...that coldblooded monster might still be there...waiting for the chance to unleash itself. Waiting to ignite.

I didn't want to believe that Shadow was still capable of the things he did in my dream. Heck, I refused to accept that he'd already done them once before. But I couldn't let my denial lead me to be his next victim. A twinge of frustration sliced through my core. I was torn. Two halves of me were fighting for dominance over my better judgment. I wanted to hide. I wanted to cower.

But I didn't. I refused to be afraid. I just remained where I was and looked Shadow dead in the eye, trying to appear as fierce as possible while my chest rose and fell with long breaths. I noticed he hadn't said anything yet, so I chose to speak once again. With final hesitance, I brought myself to say the very question that, at this point, was beginning to haunt me more than that dreadful nightmare.

"Shadow...can I ask you something?" I said, my voice cracking slightly.

Shadow dipped his head down, but never broke eye contact with me.

"...Sure," he said dully. "I was going to ask you something as well. But you can go first."

I blinked. _What would he possibly need to ask me? Now I have more things to think about!_

I nodded silently and swallowed down the rest of my fears. Okay, here it goes.

"Did you ever...uhm...assist...the Black Arms?"

There. It was out. I flinched after asking this, half-expecting Shadow to strike me or blast me with another Chaos Spear for even bringing up the subject. But instead, he stepped closer, his expression full of inquiry.

"The Black Arms..." he said. "How do you know about-"

"My grandfather," I answered quickly, crossing my arms over my chest as the insecurity overwhelmed me. "He told me that you..."

I turned away.

"...helped them...

...and I wanted to know if that was true."

Even though I couldn't see him directly, I could feel the hedgehog's shadow closing in over me. I looked up slowly to see he was only about a foot away from me.

"No. It's not true," he said flatly.

I cringed.

_Great, now I've pissed him off._

_Waiting for that second scar now._

Shadow continued slowly. "But, I was associated with them."

He took another dangerously close step towards me, to the point that we were nearly touching at the leg. I could feel that strange electric sensation radiating off him and grazing my skin.

"H-How?" I asked, almost afraid to drag the conversation on any farther. But I couldn't help it. I had to know now.

Shadow opened his mouth to respond, but quickly closed it and glared down at me. His eyes were taking small, millimeter dashes while directed at my face, like he was fixating them on every last detail. One of his eyelids gently twitched, and he drew in a long sigh.

"Rachel," he said in a serious tone,

"You don't have to be afraid of me."

I widened my eyes at him, slightly leaning backwards. It was like he was reading my mind. Although it didn't take any Einstein...or Eggman...to figure out that I was troubled.

"...Huh? I'm not afraid of you," I said strongly.

He frowned, dropping his eyelids a quarter of the way down.

"Yes you are. It's obvious."

He bent closer.

"You don't have an ounce of trust for me."

I couldn't take it. I scrambled away from him, moving farther back onto the bed. My legs were tucked underneath me, and my hands were wound around handfuls of the sheets under my body. Just like when they had been gripping onto the carpet in my dream.

"What's with you always invading my personal space!" I yelled defensively. "You don't have to be so close, you know!"

He cocked an eyebrow. "Why's that? Are you _nervous_ around me?"

My eyes popped open and strained at him in disbelief. I figured what I was feeling was fear, distrust, and confusion. But nervousness never even crossed my mind. And with the way Shadow put it into words, I felt small puffs of heat illuminating my cheeks.

"No! I'm not nervous! I just..."

_I had a nightmare and it was about you. You made my family disappear into thin air, and then you let me fall to my death. You were evil. You were one of them. You were one of the Black Arms._

"I just need some time to think."

So my speculation was half true. Shadow didn't help the Black Arms, but he was associated with them. What the hell did that mean anyway?

"And," I continued, turning away, "it's hard to think when you're trying to intimidate all the time like now. And of course I'm going to be a_ little_ defensive. After...well you know."

I couldn't see him, but I could hear Shadow emit a low, agitated sound.

"Look, I'm not asking anything of you," he said angrily. "I don't care if you don't like me or trust me, or don't approve of what I've done in the past."

His voice then softened.

"But.

None of that of that matters. I'm willing to put all of it behind if you are."

I felt the electric tingling feeling suddenly press down on the tops of my shoulders. I gasped, turning around to see that Shadow had clamped his hands down on them. My voice was lost. All I did was stare back at him in shock.

"I just want you to be a little comfortable around me," he pressed on. "I won't hurt you. I figured you would've found that out by now."

I lifted an eyebrow at him, unsure if I could buy into what he was saying. All the while, that electricity was seeping through my surface and making my blood bubble.

His eyes hardened. "Not ever again. I promise."

I gaped back at him. I didn't know what to say or do, so I simply kept my mouth shut.

There was a strange chemical reaction going on between us. I wondered if Shadow could feel it too. But then, my mind drifted through his words.

_He...promises. Shadow made a promise to me._

_And I know Shadow always keeps his promises._

"O-Okay..." I said hesitantly, dropping my eyes from his in defeat.

"...I know I'm ungrateful when it comes to ... just about everything you've done for me. You've saved my life more times than hurt it, and even though it's hard to see, I'm more thankful than I show. You shouldn't blame me for having some unconditional fear, because, well you did kidnap me. But I'll try my best to get over the trivial things. I can promise you that, too."

I then cracked a small smile. For the time being, Shadow had gained a bit of my trust. Maybe my nightmare did have some sort of significant meaning behind it. But right now, I was done thinking hard all the time. It was time to live in the moment. Time to put the past behind me myself. I was ready to start new.

The corner of Shadow's mouth started to lift, like he was about to smile back as well. But that miracle was cut short by a sultry voice that came from the doorway.

"Am I interrupting something here?"

Shadow's hands instantly ripped away from me. I lifted my eyebrows and tried to look towards the door.

_That voice..._

_it sounded...__female?_

Shadow stepped out of my way and looked toward the door as well. "...Ah, yes," he said, "And now, comes my question." He gestured towards the door with an open arm.

"Have you met Rouge the Bat?"

The white bat at the door locked eyes with me and winked.

"Hey, sweetheart," she said in an elegant, sensual tone.

"So, _you _must be Shadow's hostage."

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><strong>Welp, that just about sums it up. My eyes are watering from staring at the screen so long, and I need to take a shower. It's 11:34 PM over here and I'm still in my school clothes, which consists of a t-shirt and skinny jeans. Skinny Jeans = Not comfortable. That, my friends, is a little something I call dedication.<strong>

**I have no excuse for the long update, other than I had writer's block. And the other day I was reading the first chapters of We Will Always be Enemies and thinking..'God, these are AWFUL.' So I'm hoping the quality of the chapters has improved since then. I almost went back and edited the first chapters, but decided to leave them as they originally were just in case people who already read don't go back to read and get confused.**

**So yeah, Shadow was kind of a sexy beast in this chapter, no? Hah, I kid. I kid. I didn't use his point of view this time, and instead used only Travis' and Rachel's. Speaking of Travis, he was kind of a buttmuch wasn't he ? -.- The point was to make him more like a stubborn child. He's what, ten years old? Ten year olds get overwhelmed easier, I assume. And it takes a lot of anger for one to turn down delicious cupcakes T.T R.i.P. Vanilla cupcakes. Blue for Sonic FTW.**

**So yeah, there's Chapter 21. Review please, tell your friends about it, and yeah all that shtick. Have a nice day/night!**


	22. The Grudges against Agent Rouge

**(Rachel's POV)**

My mouth dropped open in pure awe as I gaped at the female bat standing before me. Her hand was lazily rested on the curvature of her waist as she batted her lengthy eyelashes back at me. It was bewildering; the fact that another anthromorphic animal was on the Egg Carrier now. I took a good long look at her, absorbing every last detail which included her odd choice of attire.

Her clothes consisted of a greyish black jumpsuit with a giant pink breast-plate resting over her chest. Her gloves were elbow length and rimmed with thick strips of saturated pink, and her shoes were knee high white boots that had shiny pink hearts centered on the toe areas. I averted my eyes to what was behind her and noticed the webbed, arching bat wings that protruded out of her back. They weren't moving right now, but I had no doubt in my mind that she was capable of flight just as any bat was.

Might I add that her whole outfit was also very, very revealing. It didn't just hug her curves...it squeezed the living daylights out of them. It was a marvel she could even move. Her breast-plate was also placed a bit low on the upper part of her figure. It definitely didn't look like something you would wear out in outer space. But then again, look at _my_ clothes.

I couldnt precisely explain why, but there was something suspicious about her whole presence. I made sure to stay on my guard.

Rouge seemed to be totally at ease with herself. I knew that I, on the other hand, was far from ease. My eyes were still bugging out of their sockets, and my mouth was hanging open, taking on the formation of an O. There were thoughts scrambling around in my head.

_The name Rouge the Bat sounds kind of familiar. Though I'm sure that I've never seen or heard of her before._

_Could someone please tell me what the heck is going on! How did someone like her get all the way out here in outer space? How did she happen to find us? What am I missing here!_

Rouge flashed a gentle smirk at me and dropped her heavy, shimmery eyelids farther down over her blue-green eyes.

"You mean to tell me that you're Rachel Tower?" she asked, twitching one of her enormous white ears. "_The_ Rachel Tower?"

I gulped. How did she know my name?

Shadow turned away from her to face me and waited out my response to the obvious question, possibly for the reassurance that I hadn't fainted from shock or something after the bat's arrival. As soon as I felt his eyes burning on me, I took a short breath and attempted to loosen my expression.

After what happened a few minutes ago, there was so much tension between the two of us it was starting to physically hurt. I was almost a bit relieved that this mysterious Rouge the Bat had come in out of nowhere and interrupted our conversation before it had a chance to progress. I mean, what else would have been said and done had there not been any disturbances for us? Would I have eventually told him about the nightmare I had pertaining to him? And how would he have responded, assuming he'd even care at all? And then what?

Nonetheless, I avoided his eyes at all costs and just pressed my glare back at Rouge. She looked slightly bored now. "Hm...I'm gonna assume your quiet demeanor means yes," she hummed, stepping into the room while scanning me carefully. "When you first saw me, I noticed how your eyes were wide as plates and your lower jaw fell ten feet low. So I take that as a no for Shadow's question. You've clearly never met me before."

Not that I would've anyway, but before I had a chance to reply, her smile grew and she continued. "That look of astonishment is the typical reaction I get from most people who see me for the first time," she said, twirling a finger around one of the short, curled strands of fur hanging off her head. "But can you blame them? What with my assets and appeal, I definitely put all the other bats on Earth to shame. If you can even call those squeaky, sorry excuses for rodents _bats_. Just sayin'."

I stared at her quizzically for a moment before gasping lightly. Her whole 'introduction' hit me like a ton of bricks.

_So that's why I feel like I've heard of her before. Rouge isn't some sort of alien or extraterrestrial. She's from Earth just like me! We share the same home planet...and that's how she knows who I am!_

But then, I suddenly felt the edges of my mouth starting to weigh down.

Okay sure, I had only met Rouge a few moments ago. But I could already tell that it would take a lot to get me to like her, if that ever could happen. Of all the people to travel millions of light-years away from planet Earth and find me, it had _her_?

She knew I was Shadow's hostage, yet didn't even show any kind of care, or have a reaction whatsoever! She acted so casual towards me, like I was just another person on the Egg Carrier in the middle of some unknown galaxy, innocently going about their life. Like it was a natural thing.

_Hellooooo_, _I'm a hostage here! I was taken against my will! Don't act like this is so normal!_ I wanted to yell.

I could tell by her blunt attitude that she had no intention of helping me. So she definitely wasn't here to rescue me or anything. Of course what were the odds of THAT happening?

"...Uhm...Who are you supposed to be?" I asked her quietly. My voice was caught up in that ocean of surprise again and had its difficulty returning back to me. But as soon as the question was out, the bat bounced her eyebrows and nodded towards Shadow, who continued looking in my direction. I still avoided his gaze.

"Mm? I thought Shadow here already clarified that for you. I'm Rouge the Bat," Rouge said matter-of-factly, jabbing one of her thumbs against her chest and winking. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Rachel."

Instead of returning the greeting, I shook my head. "No, that's not what I meant. I meant who are you, as in what is it that you do or want for that matter? And uh, how do you and Shadow..."

I finally forced myself to look up at the hedgehog. He was already looking my way, as if he'd been waiting for me to make eye contact with him. Just as I predicted, the moment our sight was exchanged, a clash of nervousness struck through me. Something about the emotion that was swimming in those crimson orbs gave me the chills. It even made me slightly sick to my stomach.

"...er...how do you know each other..." I choked out.

Rouge was clearly oblivious to the discomfort between me and Shadow. Her candy-pink lips curled even farther across her muzzle. Her eyes darted to the back of Shadow's striped quills and she let out a low chuckle.

"Shadow and I? Oh boy, we go way back..." she said. "I met him on the Space Colony ARK over sixteen years ago. He and Eggman were plotting the usual world domination, or something along those lines. Ah yes, working for the bad guys. Those were the days..." she trailed off, seemingly lost in her own bank of thoughts.

"Yep. Ever since then, we've been partners in justice...or...crime...whatever! Our goals always changed, so it depended on the situation, really. Sure we separated lots of times, and you couldn't say we were official partners. But we always worked together on missions and fought for or against anything that was thrown our way. We benefited each other countless times. To me, it's almost like we were made to be team! Isn't that right, Shadow?"

Shadow was silent for a moment, but then he suddenly whirled around to look in her direction. His face was ridden of all serenity. If anything, he looked annoyed and even downright angry. I didn't understand how though. These two seemed to be very fond of each other.

"Sure. Whatever you say, Rouge. But you're leaving out a huge fragment of our history together," he said, shooting a narrow glare her way.

Despite the hostility in his voice, Rouge continued smiling. "Oh, is that so? And what would that be, former _partner_?" she said almost flirtatiously while putting emphasis on the word 'partner'. I found myself instantly feeling out of place, and rubbed the side of my arm awkwardly.

_Oh gosh. Don't tell me these two dated in the past. What, is that the 'fragment of history' that's missing? Rouge is his ex-girlfriend? Great...just perfect. More drama is exactly what we all needed!_

But now that I thought about it, I couldn't see Shadow being with someone like her. Heck, I couldn't see him being with anybody at all. It was almost like he was incapable of showing another living being affection. Or maybe that wasn't entirely true. He was a good friend to Maria...I assumed. But I didn't reckon he'd been kind towards anyone since then. I wondered if that was his fault, or the world's fault for making him that way.

Shadow hardened his eyes at the bat. "Don't go playing stupid! The first time I met you, you _betrayed_ us. You were working for us just so you could spy on us for the organization that you really worked for," he said, dousing his words in venom. "After manipulating the Doctor as well as me into trusting you, you turned on both of us for your own selfish ambitions. I haven't been able to completely rely on you since then. You know that."

Even though I had already been listening, my ears picked up more on their conversation. Rouge the Bat is a spy? Yeah, some spy she is! Like I said before, she didn't even care that I was Shadow's hostage!

Rouge let out an exaggerated scoff. "Oh you've got to be kidding me. Come on, Shadow. Let it go. That was ages ago. You can't hold that over me forever! I thought we were allies! Maybe even friends."

She then puffed out her chest, crossing her arms over the front. "And besides, I no longer work as a spy or an agent. I resigned a few years ago. As of now, my main focus is simply being an independent treasure hunter like I always have been. I scope out nothing but the most beautiful jewels, which happens to include the Chaos Emeralds."

Barely a second after Rouge said 'Chaos Emeralds', her eyes dimmed mischievously. I couldn't help but notice her stature. She was definitely plotting something.

Shadow digressed. "Forget it. You're not getting any of the Emeralds we have here. If that's what you came all the way out here for, then there's no point in you staying. You might as well clear out now before I have the chance to kick you out myself."

Rouge grinned, showing off her pearly teeth and walked closer to him. "No need to be so rude, Stripes. I don't see how I could be a bother. If anything, I only want to help you guys."

"Yeah, right. But that's not the whole story, is it?" Shadow said, sounding as if he was testing her.

Rouge lifted an eyebrow. "Huh. Now you're using my own words against me? I'm surprised you remember that conversation after it's been more than a decade...but continue on with whatever invalid point you were making," she said tiredly.

Now they had lost me.

Shadow took her up on the invalid point making. "You always have a scheme planned out for the people you negotiate with. I know you better than you think." he retorted.

Rouge sighed, batting her eyes again. "No no no, I promise this time is different. I'm not after your Chaos Emeralds, so rest assured I won't take them from you. But, I could always help you find the rest. You're forgetting about my cunning treasure-hunting skills! I originally came here to tag along and go to these alien planets with you. Foreign galaxies might hold all kinds of amazing gems. But while I'm here, how 'bout I assist you guys in your little hunts and halve the time it normally takes for you to track down just one Chaos Emerald? This is a rare opportunity for all of you. You'd be a fool to pass it up!"

Shadow scowled. "Then call me a fool. Thanks, but no thanks. We don't need your help. We have a tracker to help us find all the Emeralds."

But alas, Rouge neared him once more. I gawked at the both of them and their interactions. It was like watching an interrogation out of a really intense movie. And it was totally unreal to see how comfortable Rouge was around Shadow. I wished I was a bit more like her in that sense.

"True," she admitted, "But I bet that fancy little tracker doesn't pinpoint the Chaos Emerald's exact location. At least, I remember it was like that last time. Which is beyond me. Didn't Eggman say he was a genius? And yet I'm able to outwit his little toys. It must be quite the hassle for you to search high and low for each one, using nothing but cold instinct."

My heart sank at the sound of that. High and low.

I remembered Tragaria, and then that weird club Shadow went to where he nearly got himself killed and where I was almost 'sold' to a mind reader. Who knew how hard it would be to find the next two Chaos Emeralds out here in the universe. And who knew what other lives would be altered because of them.

I didn't like messing with the balance of things just so we could acquire these stupid gems, whose power I had yet to see. I'd only witnessed their use when Shadow harnessed their energy during Chaos Control. They had to be good for something else. Because as far as I knew, they were only rocks.

What else did they do that made them so special? That's what I would like to know.

"You know, maybe she's right, Shadow," I said.

They both turned to look at me, acknowledging my presence for the first time since their petty argument started.

I continued on hesitantly. "I mean, we've caused more than enough destruction necessary to every planet we...or you...have visited so far. Maybe Rouge could do more good for us than bad. You're the one who said she was a spy. If that's true, then she must have great instinct when it comes to finding things. The whole treasure hunting part being a hobby of hers makes it even better. Think about it."

The sooner we got the Emeralds, the sooner I got to go home.

Shadow let out a light scoff. "Tugh, Rouge being useful. That's definitely debatable."

Rouge didn't pry her gaze away from mine and nodded in agreement, ignoring his snide comment. "Yes! Exactly! I like how you think!"

She laughed softly. "I must say, I kind of admire you, Rachel Tower. You've been stuck here on Egg-head's Carrier in the middle of space for nearly two months, with nothing but a bunch of know-it-all boys as your only company. But, I bet the truth is that you have more sense than any of them, just because you're the girl here. Everyone knows female brains are the ones that reign superior over knowledge, compared to a man's brain at least," she said, holding her index finger up in the air.

Shadow crossed his arms while staring at her. "Rouge, I don't think you have any idea what you're talking about..."

She ignored him again. "I'm glad you haven't lost that sensible instinct in you after hanging around with these headaches for so long. If I were you, I would've lost my marbles a long time ago."

I found it in me to let out a hearty laugh at her statement. "Oh believe me, I'm getting there. I come closer to insanity every day," I said between giggles. It was like a breath of fresh air to have another girl to talk to. She seemed to understand me a whole lot better than I thought she would. Maybe liking Rouge wouldn't be that hard after all.

Shadow darted his eyes away from her and instantly looked at me after taking in the sound of my laughter. I could tell he was noting on how well I was adjusting to Rouge. I figured it was impossible for him to understand why I was so joyful all of a sudden, but I pushed my wandering thoughts aside and pressed on my conversation with her.

"So, Rouge, you will help us after all then, right?" I asked with a wide grin.

She swiftly nodded in response, smirking back. "It would give me no greater honor than to be of your assistance while you embark on this noble quest, Ms. Tower," she said tauntingly, bringing a stiff, open hand to the side of her forehead in a mock salute. I laughed again at her sarcasm.

But then, Shadow suddenly jumped in between the two of us, cutting the lighthearted moment short. Instead of turning to Rouge, he faced me dead on.

I thought he was going to lunge at me or attack me judging by his stance, so I threw my hands outward to momentarily brace myself. But instead, he stood perfectly still, frowning up at me. I gradually lowered my open palms.

"Did you not hear me, Rachel," he said. "I was serious. Rouge is _not_ staying here and she's _not_ helping us. So you need to get that out of your head. Got it?"

Rouge smiled mischievously. "Uh, I hate to break it to you, but you're not captain of this monkey ship, Shadow," she said mockingly. "Eggman is. Therefore, the final decision lies with him, the Head Monkey. Not you."

She then looked up to meet my eyes, while still directing her speech at him. "And don't worry. It's not like I'm gonna steal your precious hostage from you. You can still have as much time alone with her as you did before."

My heart skipped a beat. Shadow whipped his head around so that we were both gawking at Rouge.

_"What!"_ Shadow yelled, while I gasped quietly.

Rouge only brushed us off and continued. "Both of you calm down! No need to act so secretive. I'm not an idiot. I can see the chemistry here. And all I'm saying is I'll be sure to stay out of your way, if Eggman's choice meets my expectations that is."

Shadow grimaced, shooting the bat a death glare.

"No. Don't say that ever agian. Rachel and I...no. That would be THE last thing that I would ever-"

"Au Contraire, Stripes, you can't tell me that I'm wrong. What the heck was going on in here when I first arrived then, huh? You two were just feeling up on each other and it meant nothing?"

I flustered, feeling my face turn scarlet red. "Rouge! Stop! That's not what happened!"

Shadow unraveled his arms and stepped towards her defiantly. "I was telling her something_ important_!"

Rouge's eyes sliced to the side and she hummed to herself innocently.

"Mhm. Must've been veeerrryyyy important..." she snickered.

I made a noise out of disgust and turned away, hiding my face behind my hair. I could feel myself heating up from the embarrassment, and didn't want either of them to notice.

_This is so wrong. How can she say something like that so openly! Shadow is a **hedgehog,** I'm a **human**. To say that we're doing...whatever she was implying...is just sick. Even if Shadow was a human, it wouldn't change a damned thing! Because I...I could never be with him period._

But something deep in the hidden realms of my heart told me that was a lie. It wasn't the truth, but I still didn't know if my assumption was an actual fact.

He wasn't entirely a bad guy, but he sure as hell wasn't good either. Rouge was wrong. There was no chemistry between us whatsoever. Unless you count bubbling and boiling over from rage like some kind of poisonous potion, then yeah, give it an A plus. If only I could've brought myself to say something like this out loud.

Shadow wasn't blushing like me. He was outraged. He growled and reeled his arm back, not in a punching manner, but more like he was about to strike a Chaos Spear at the nosy bat. "Shut that mouth of yours!" he shouted. "And get out of here now!"

Rouge laughed. "And leave you two alone again? Hah. You wish. How about _you_ get out of here, and while you're at it, go ask Eggman if I can stay...pretty please with caramel on top?"

She gestured towards the door. "Last time I checked, he was in the robotics room working on one of his new projects. He said something about needing to," she made air quotes, "'briefly converse with you' about the next Chaos Emerald. In fact, if I were you, I'd ask him about that before you ask about me staying. It seemed pretty important. Bokkun said you guys are already close to the next galaxy where the fifth AND sixth Emeralds are being kept."

I looked up from behind my dark hair with big, hopeful eyes.

"Did you say fifth...and sixth?" I asked barely above a whisper.

She nodded happily. "Yep! That means that after you visit this next planet, you'll only need one more Chaos Emerald. You do know where that one is...right?

I blinked slowly. A huge smile suddenly broke out across my face.

The last Chaos Emerald is on Earth. It's at home. And the deal was after we have all the Chaos Emeralds except for the last one, they would bring me back.

Shadow saw the evident relief on my face, and gaped at me for the third freaking time, and also for what felt like forever. I looked back at him quietly, my smile suddenly fading.

I couldn't help but notice how angry he looked after Rouge said this. What, was he angry about me leaving? Yeah, that's likely. I decided not to think too hard about it. Shadow looked angry most of the time anyway. That's just how his face was.

He stiffened and turned to face Rouge. "Fine then. But you're coming with me to go talk to him."

Rouge's content expression instantly morphed into confusion. "Huh? Why?"

He gave her a bland look. "Because I'm not leaving you alone with her," he said, looking back at me for a second.

Rouge guffawed, completely baffled by his attitude. "You're joking, right? Oh come on now, that's ridiculous! I thought I'd earned your trust! What the heck do you think I'm gonna do, fry her up and eat her?"

"It's not what I think you'll do, it's what I think you'll _say_," he said. "You might tell her things I don't want her to know."

My eyebrows knitted together. "What...you mean to tell me you have _more_ secrets?" I asked him.

But the real question I wondered is why he didn't want me to know any of them.

Rouge clearly wondered this too. She smirked. "What's the matter, Shadow? What are you so afraid of? I thought she was just another human to you?" she said.

Now she was the one testing him.

Shadow glared at her.

"She is," he said harshly.

Rouge nodded. "Exactly. So you have nothing to lose anyway, right?"

She then pointed to the door again. "Now hurry up. Go ask Egg-head what he wants! You could've been there and back by now, but nooooo you just had to waste valuable time with your whining and accusations! Stubborn little Shadow the Moodyhog."

Shadow didn't budge. She sighed angrily.

"Please just go already. I won't tell Rachel anything that I know you wouldn't want me telling her. I don't even know what that would be. So how 'bout I just keep my mouth shut altogether like you wanted? You have my word."

Shadow dropped dead silent. The bat then dragged her pinched fingers along her lip and mimed a zip. He gave her another long stare-down.

He was still suspicious, but finally gave in and turned to leave. "Fine. I'll be right back."

My body suddenly relaxed. I hadn't realized how tense I'd become.

He then stopped and shifted his eyes to meet mine for one final time. "I mean it," he said, as if it were a threat.

"I'll be _right_ back."

And with that, he turned around and ran off, leaving me and Rouge alone.

Once he was gone, I contemplated berating her for talking about any possible romance between me and Shadow, and then demand that she never do it again. But instead, as soon as his footsteps were out of earshot, I let out a long, drawn out sigh and dropped down onto my bed, letting everything sink in.

"Gosh..." I breathed out. "You know you're right. It's a miracle I'm not crazy by now. I'm not sure how much longer I can take Shadow and his mood swings. I thought I was the teenage girl here."

Rouge said nothing. She didn't even look at me.

I slit my eyes at the floor, heaving in another breath. "But no matter. There's only one more galaxy to visit. One more galaxy. One more planet. Two more Chaos Emeralds. And then...we're done. They'll take me back to Earth. I'll be home soon."

Rouge stared at the open door silently, then whisked around to face me. I saw her boots turn around and lifted my head to meet her eyes with a pause.

She wasn't smirking or grinning, or looking at me with that easy-going cockiness. Now, her eyes had darkened multiple shades, and were widened slightly. There was a look of rush, but also determination swirling around in her ocean colored eyes.

"A lot sooner than you think," she said promptly.

I looked back at her. "R-Rouge? Are you okay?"

A small smile played at the corner of her lips, but it quickly fell. She suddenly reached one glove down her shirt, between the valley of her cleavage.

My eyes widened. "What the-...what are you-?"

She then pulled a badge out from under her breast-plate, holding it out in my direction so I could see it. I hesitated for a moment then leaned closer, reading the black, bolded letters at the top. My eyes widened.

**G.U.N.**

"That would Agent Rouge to you, sweetheart. G.U.N. Agent Rouge." she said softly and hurriedly, making a double-take towards the door to make sure nobody was eavesdropping. She then faced me again. "And again, you'll be home sooner than you think."

My hand nearly flew around my mouth out of instinct, but I kept it nailed to my side. My heart was thudding loudly in my chest.

Is she saying what I think she's saying?

I jumped off the bed. "No way. Please, if this is some kind of joke-"

"It's not," she cut me off instantly. "I know you're skeptical, but I swear it's not. I lied when I said I'd resigned. I'm still an agent. G.U.N is the organization I work for. Your grandfather sent me to rescue you because he knows about my history with Shadow, and knew that if he sent anyone else, Shadow would turn them away without a second thought."

My mouth fell open.

She then grabbed my sleeve and prompted me towards the door.

"Come on," she said quickly.

"Let's get you out of here before Shadow finds out we're gone."

**X**

**X**

**X**

**(A/N) Okay, so it's nearly 5 in the morning over here and I'm gonna hurry this along. Reason for the delay? My laptop crashed. It won't log onto my profile where all my files are. For a long time, this chapter went unfinished and remained only halfway done.**

**Not knowing how long it would take for my laptop to get fixed, I started a new story called Lavender Light. It's a NiGHTS story. **

**If you don't know who NiGHTS is, have you ever played Sonic Adventure and gone to the casino level? NiGHTS is the purple guy that has his own pinball stage. I was gonna hold off until I finished this story before I started a new one..but like I said, I didn't know how long that would take. Please check it out if you get the chance. The NiGHTS category isn't exactly booming with stories like the Sonic category is. But you would have to know the whole story behind NiGHTS to understand what's going on. And if you've never gotten into NiGHTS or had the opportunity to, I insist you check him...or her out. (NiGHTS is androgynous) **

**The story and characters really are beautiful. It has great music, great character design and so on and so forth. Believe me when I say you'd be missing out. I would NOT start a whole story over it if it wasn't worth obsessing over. It's actually moved me to tears. o.o**

**Okay, done rambling.**

**The only thing that got me to finish this chapter was YOU guys. I was scanning through my reviews last night, and reading all the old and new feedback led to me staying up til 4:59 desperately turning my house over, looking for a USB cable so I could transfer all my files to my family computer. I finally got them on a hard drive, emailed them to myself, and instantly got to work. I know this chapter's short, but I was kind of rushed. The next one will be longer.**

**By the way, Merry Late Christmas and Happy New Year! I hope 2012 is a great year for ALL of you, your families and your friends.**

**Review please. Thank you~**


	23. So Close

**(Rachel's POV)**

_Keep up with what you're doing..._

_Don't forget where you're going..._

_Whatever you do..._

_Don't screw this up._

_Whatever you do,_

_Don't trip, fall, or stumble._

_And don't you dare look back._

_Just keep looking straight._

_One small mishap,_

_and it's all over for you._

My mind was in such a scrambled disarray. It was as if all my worries were being mashed together and churned inside a blender. I was running along with my soon-to-be savior, Rouge the Bat. This wasn't up to me anymore. It was in her hands now. She was my only way out of here.

_This is it._

_This is your escape._

_After months of captivity,_

_You're about to be free._

_Don't look back._

_Not for one second..._

_Don't even think about it._

"Rouge..." I finally breathed out apprehensively. "I _really_ hope you know where you're going,"

She panted quietly in front of me as we both sprinted down the hallways together, her steps and mine clicking in and out of sync.

"Now's not the time to doubt me. Have faith, kid," she said in a jumble, struggling to keep her voice up with the pace of her feet. "I know we barely know each other, but if there's anything you should know about me it's that I always have a plan. Believe me, I thought this through before I managed to get to you. Now all we have to do is carry that plan out. It won't be easy, but it is doable."

After she finished, I found myself pumping my arms back and forth a little more roughly at my sides. For some reason, her saying all this made me realize how real this all was, and that there really was no turning back. It willed me to go faster. But again my worries swelled and made my speed slightly falter.

"But what if we get lost? We might make one wrong turn and end up trapped somewhere. We can't afford to let something like that happen!"

"Trust me on this," she responded diligently. "I may have never been here before, but that doesn't mean I don't know my way around. Past experience really pays off in the long run."

I furrowed my eyes at the back of her head. "What...do you mean...by that?" I asked between gasps, quickly changing the subject to get my mind off the soreness that was starting to bend down my calves and abdomen.

Rouge looked back at me through the corner of her eye before answering. "Well, I never expected you to know this because this is your first time being in something constructed by Eggy. But if the situation were otherwise, you'd notice his hideouts aren't that hard to figure out. His evil lairs, or bases, or airships, or whatever the heck they are...they always have the same interior layout. Always. In fact, I almost have every hallway here memorized. The only difference is these seem to never end," she said tiredly. "But no worries. I got this all in the bag. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to learn their way around and out of here."

Again, I found myself frowning. She knew her way around here and hadn't even been here an hour. While I'd been stuck here for months and wandering aimlessly became almost a constant thing. She was dead wrong. Learning one's way around here was NOT easy. I had never figured out my own way around here on this stupid giant Egg Carrier.

That mostly had to do with me being more involved in cautiously watching out for Shadow as opposed to drawing a damn map of the place. Either way I didn't desire to learn this place by heart. And hopefully, I wouldn't have to after this.

As more time passed the adrenaline finally sank in, seemingly for both of us. Rouge and I gradually picked up our speed. The wind whipped past my eardrums, blowing my hair behind my shoulders. This was probably the fastest I'd ever run in my life. As long as I kept my head up, the spark of pain remained dull.

Yet somehow, it still didn't feel like I was giving it my all. I knew being fast was not only necessary...it was crucial if we wanted to get out of this place.

My head then wandered back to its previous hysteria. But now, instead of thinking about how close to impossible this escape attempt was, I started predicting the outcome of what would happen if we really were caught.

_Oh gosh, this is dangerous. This is really, and I mean really dangerous._

_Shadow's bound to notice we're gone sooner or later. And he's not going to just let us leave._

_He'll come after us._

_No, he'll come after me._

_"I mean it, I'll be right back."_

Shadow's voice reverberated around in my head, replaying itself over and over. I bit my lip fearfully.

Just imagining what that hedgehog would do if he caught us escaping made my blood run cold. In fact, It almost made me stop right there on the spot. My hopes of getting out of here were already deteriorating.

I had to ask myself...was there really any point in attempting this? I mean, granted Rouge is a G.U.N. spy and she's trained to handle situations like this with ease. But I, on the other hand, I'm still a sad, pathetic case when it comes to bravery. I only show it when I'm on the brink of going completely delusional, or if my anger has reached its boiling point. But now, I wasn't crazy or mad. I was just flat out scared for my life.

But I didn't stop. I couldn't.

I kept on going. Just as I had thought many times over, there was no turning back now. I wanted to be home more than anything. And if we made it out of here, that's exactly where I would be headed.

_Screw outer space. It's not even worth it anymore. I wanna go back to Earth!_

Rouge wasn't running at my side. I let her go ahead so she could lead the way while I treaded behind, not really sure where she was going to begin with. She never bothered telling me.

There was a random, yet relative question buzzing around in my head. As we turned a corner, I figured the silence had gone on long enough and found the right moment to bring it up.

"Uhm, Rouge? You're...a bat, aren't you?" I asked.

When I said the question out loud, no matter how I tried to edit it, it still sounded incredibly stupid. I was aiming to make a point though.

She shot me another look over her shoulder, but this time it was plastered with sarcasm.

"Uh-huh. Well spotted, Sherlock. I suppose your first biggest breakthrough was realizing Shadow isn't a harmless little kitten?" she mocked hastily.

"I was just wondering, you know since you do have wings, how come you're not flying?" I asked. "Like is there really any point in running for you? I would think that it's...er...easier for you to fly. It probably doesn't require as much energy," I said, noting her continuous panting.

Rouge didn't look back to answer this time, and simply stared straight ahead. "Well yes. You're right, it is easier. But the problem with that is I'm also faster when I fly, rather than when I'm on my feet. I can't help it. The wind kind of takes me however fast it wants me to go. I'm only able to control my flight pattern in the air, not my speed. If I chose to fly right now, you'd probably be left behind. And seeing that the whole point of my mission is to get you outta this place, it would be foolish to take chances with something like that."

I slowed my breathing down a little, feeling a sting of frustration. "Okay if you haven't noticed, I don't care about taking chances at this point! I'll keep up with you, Rouge! I'll do whatever it takes! We don't have any time to lose. If we're caught by Shadow...he'll...oh God he'll kill us both!"

Rouge sighed. "I like how the first person you imagine catching us is _Shadow_. Really now. And I don't think Shadow would necessarily kill us...maybe torture us, maim us, or lock us up somewhere dark without food or water as punishment..."

_"Rouge! _Now's not the time for jokes! I know if anyone catches us, it will be him! He's fast, he can warp, and he's stronger than both of us combined-_"_

"Okay okay!" she said, waving her hand back towards me. "I get what you're saying! I know you're scared out of your wits, but sheesh. Just another typical, bossy teenager you are."

She unfolded her wings and jumped up in the air. The webbings adjusted slightly, and within seconds she was gliding above my head, a slight rushing sound following her from behind. After she was airborne, the distance between us slowly started to expand. I quickly picked up the tempo in my step so I wouldn't lose her.

Rouge turned around to look at me. She could tell by the gnarled look on my face that I was really pushing myself.

"Don't give up now, Rachel! We're almost there okay?"

I picked my head up to meet her eyes, nodding to show I understood, and also to assure her that I was going to be fine. Yeah, I may have been tired and sore, and the pain was worsening with every step. But being able to get out of here would soon make up for all that.

Although, I really wish I knew where we were going.

Does this mean Rouge have a spaceship or something? I can't think of any other way she could've gotten herself out here. You don't just take a leisurely stroll from Earth, traveling through the universe like it's nothing. You need means of transportation.

But one thing was certain...I would find out all in a matter of time. Soon Shadow, Eggman, Bokkun, those robots I met, and everything else having to do with this place would be far behind me. Home was still a long way from here, but I could wait a little longer. Just as long as I got there.

Yes. As long as I was away from here…the wait would be much easier.

**(Shadow's POV)**

_That ignorant..._

_irritating..._

_annoying broad!_

_Who the hell does that bat think she is? Who gave her the authority to order me around? I'm Shadow the Hedgehog! I have half a mind to go back there and remind her who really has the power here!_

I groaned and rubbed my temples, feeling an ache form at the back of my cranium.

_But what good would that do. She hasn't given me much of a reason to get mad...yet._

All in a moment's time.

I couldn't help being so angry about this. It wasn't the fact that Rouge was here, it was the fact that she AND Rachel were here at the same time. The last thing the Egg Carrier needed was more estrogen. I had one female already driving me up the wall, I certainly did not need another. But if I had to choose, I would want Rouge gone before anyone else.

In fact if it were up to me, Rouge would've been out the door before she even had the chance to grace me with her presence, and a friendly 'Hi, Mr. Sunshine, long time no see.'

I dropped my arms back to my sides, revisiting the memory of when I first discovered her casually waltzing around the halls. I remembered our confrontation... in which she took immense joy in harassing me.

_"Wow, Shadow," she said softly, circling me as her eyes lifted and dropped. "You don't look half bad for a sixty-something year old hedgehog. I guess it's true, men really do ripen with age. You little elderly devil you."_

I twisted my face inwards with disgust.

_Forget it._

_I want her out of here. Now._

"Shadow?" I heard a shrill voice call, shattering the silence.

At first, I thought the speaker was behind me and halted, nearly turning around to face them. But before I could start twisting my body, I looked up and came face to face with Bokkun's luminescent yellow eyes.

I instantly inched away from him with a dragging frown. But before I could retaliate, he suddenly bombarded me with a bunch of questions.

"Jeez, where the heck have you been!" he exclaimed. "How come no one could find you? Were you with Rachel? You were with Rachel weren't you. Tell me you weren't with Rachel. Why were you with Rachel!"

For some reason, my stomach did four rhythmic turn-overs, each after the sound of Rachel's name. Maybe because it was a reminder that right now, Rachel Tower, my hos-...I mean _our_ hostage, was alone with a fugitive slash ex-spy. I needed to find Dr. Eggman and see what is was that he needed to tell me, so I could go back and keelhaul the bat out of there.

I swear, if it wasn't a conflict that graced me, it was a person I disliked.

"Get out of my way," I prompted, shoving him out of the way with my elbow and walking off. "I don't have time for you right now. Dr. Eggman needs to see me, and I won't keep him waiting. So leave me alone; don't pester me with your stupid questions."

Surprisingly, Bokkun didn't try to stop me. I could feel his presence dying off.

"Wha-...Wait...How did you know Dr. Eggman-"

"What did I just say," I hissed, ignoring him whilst continuing onward. As soon as I heard the query in his voice, I dismissed him out of annoyance.

After I was alone again, I made my way down several more halls until I came across the maintenance and robotics room, to find that the door was already slid open. Inside, Dr. Eggman was looming over one of his projects on a metallic lab table. It was a bronze heap of conjoined metal pieces along with other chunks of carbonite, resembling a half-finished machine of some sort. The Doctor wasn't tinkering with it, or holding onto any tools or utensils. Instead, he was massaging his chin while eyeing it, analyzing all its details.

I took a few steps into the room. Eggman heard the clanking of my shoes and turned away from his experiment, his eyes glistening with astonishment behind the darkened lenses.

"...Well what a pleasant surprise," he said, straightening his posture and stepping away from the table. "You're just the hedgehog I needed to talk to, Shadow. Impeccable timing, I must say."

I nodded once. "Right. So what do you want?"

He nodded in response and smiled gently, which threw me off a bit. Normally, the Doctor wore this face-splitting grin, especially when he had some form of trickery up his sleeve. I'd never seen him look this calm, or sane for that matter.

"Oh, nothing of too much importance. I just thought I'd let you know we're approaching the Storm Galaxy, and soon we'll be in orbit. That galaxy happens to be the one where there are two Chaos Emeralds being kept. Yes, you heard me correctly. _Two_."

I raised a brow and chuckled. "Storm Galaxy, huh. Sounds pretty inviting if you ask me."

Eggman just shrugged. "Well, I don't know about you but I think the name suits it rather well. The galaxy looked like a giant whirlwind on radar, similar to a hurricane. So I wasn't sure what else to call it."

I looked at him curiously. "You mean to say you named this galaxy yourself?"

He smiled again, mindlessly panning his eyes back over to his formless invention. "Indeed I did. The label for it came up as nothing more than a series of asterisks and question marks, which is a bit odd. To my understanding, there is only one planet in this galaxy, which is un-named as well. It has no inhabitants whatsoever, not a single living organism in existence. But that's probably due to the state of the environment there. From what I've discovered, the weather conditions there are not made to support life."

I nodded. "Okay. But it's not enough to kill me before I can even step on ground...right? Because then that could be a problem."

Dr. Eggman suddenly looked uneasy as he side-stepped back to the lab table, roaming his gloved fingers all over his invention while tightening the bolts and screws. "I...uhm...well...I'm sure you'll be alright. You'll just need to hurry and find the Emeralds before your body succumbs to hypothermia...or whatever it is about the harsh weather that's deadly. It shouldn't be hard to track them down seeing as the Emeralds are together, and the reaction of their energy is creating a beam in the sky that you can see even from a long distance. It's actually quite convenient."

I smirked. So I wouldn't need Rouge's assistance for this after all. Now she had no real reason to stay.

But something rushed back to me unpremeditatedly. I looked down at my hand, balling it into a loose fist. My eyes sealed for a moment.

"...Dr. Eggman...after we've uncovered these last two Chaos Emeralds, we'll be going back to Earth...correct?" I said, re-opening them.

A sudden glint flashed through Dr. Eggman's eyes, but it was too brief for me to decode.

"Yes. We'll go back to Earth for the last Emerald."

I released a breath through my nose that I hadn't even realized I was holding. Dr. Eggman heard it and raised his head up.

"Shadow," he said placidly. "Don't go huffin' and puffin'. You know...this was _your_ idea. You have no reason to complain."

I escalated my eyes in his direction. "I know..." I said quietly.

He squinted at me carefully.

"In my plan, we weren't going to bring any humans with us, and then take them back to hold for ransom. That's far too complicated, even for my standards."

I then dropped my eyes away from his. "I-I know." I repeated.

"In fact, this whole plan was a bit unorthodox. It's almost as if we made it harder for ourselves, and for the captive."

"I know."

"This shouldn't have been dragged out the way it was. It isn't a game you know. We made a deal, and that deal was meant to be taken seriously."

"Yes, I know."

"I understand that you might...maybe...er...have a thin attachment...to Rachel Tower. But I'm afraid we're going to have to sever that bond. The sooner the better. After all, there's no point in caring for someone whom you're never going to see again-"

"I said I _know_!"

Eggman froze at my sudden outburst.

I scowled back at him angrily. Right now, the only thing I desired was for him to stop talking; to drop the subject; to move back to talking about the Chaos Emeralds. That would've been stupendous. I didn't want him to talk about Rachel. Not now.

Dr. Eggman just glared back at me puzzled, stirred in with what looked like disappointment. After he overcame the startle, he shook his head.

"Shadow...what's going on."

The tone of his voice made me aware of my indiscretion. I realized then, by only saying those four words...I might have revealed too much.

"...It's nothing..." I answered quietly.

The Doctor wasn't convinced.

"It sure doesn't sound like nothing."

He stepped closer to me. "You know, I really don't understand, Shadow. I really, honestly, don't get it. I thought you and Rachel _despised_ each other. But at the same time...there seems to be this instinct in you that makes you constantly want to protect her. I mean...protective is the only word I can think of. It truly perplexes me that you seem to have all these feelings harnessed, and not even you have noticed them."

He then cocked an eyebrow. "Or have you...and you just haven't admitted it to yourself yet."

I glared back at him with resentment, but even though my expression was physically acting against everything he was accusing me of, I knew deep down...it was all true.

_Had_ I noticed it before? Maybe. Maybe I considered it for one small second, that deep down I did care more about Rachel than I gave credit for. Maybe it happened when we first met, after I found those men advancing on her...when something inside me flared at the sight of her under attack. Maybe it was when I found her on the subway train and realized I'd feel...I don't know..._better_, if I knew it was her I was kidnapping, rather than her father. Then, no outside forces could ever harm her.

Maybe it happened when she told me her name before breaking down into tears. Maybe it happened when I heard her singing in her room. Maybe it happened when I saved her from Tragaria, the way we were descending through the spiritless city, just me and her clinging to nothing at all except the will to survive. Maybe...maybe it happened when I attacked her, or when I woke up and found her tending to my punctured wound.

I don't know when...I tried to remember when all this happened. I couldn't. I refreshed my memories over and over, but it didn't click.

I hated not knowing.

What had she done to me? Why did she make me care at all for her? It's unlike me. It's not natural.

But there was one thing I did know.

Sure, I might have considered caring about her. But it was only for one second. No, I did listen to these inner messages. No, I did not show her kindness. And no, she did not deserve kindness from me. I closed her off. I didn't let her in. She hated me. I didn't hate her the same way I thought I had, but what difference did it make? None. Not a one. We weren't meant to like each other. We were meant to be enemies. And I didn't care. I don't care.

Rather than answering the Doctor, who was still standing there impatiently waiting for my response, I turned on my heel to exit the room and head back to B-12. I couldn't stand being in the same room as him anymore. And despite being at war with myself, Rachel's room was the only place I wanted to be right now. Without Rouge, and just with her.

"And just where do you think you're going now?" he asked me.

I didn't look back at him and kept pacing my way out.

"I'm going back to B-12," I said, not really seeing a point in hiding it any longer. "The last thing I want is to leave Rachel alone with Rouge for too long. That conniving bat will interfere one way or another if I don't return soon."

But just as I was clear out of the room, Dr. Eggman spoke again. This time, his tone held more confusion than it had previously.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

My feet stopped side by side and I turned back to look into the room. Eggman's brow was furrowed, his mouth turned down inquisitively.

I just looked at him. "I said I'm going to go talk with Rachel and I don't want to leave her alone with Rouge-"

But then, the words crumbled inside my throat. My mouth fell open and my eyes distended with disbelief. I was frozen in place.

I could see it on his face. Dr. Eggman didn't know Rouge was here. He clearly didn't know what I was talking about...because him knowing about her arrival was never true.

It was a lie.

Rouge lied to me. She had never talked to him.

She snuck in here.

She...she wasn't retired as an agent, was she. That was a lie too. In fact, she might have been here on duty. It came to me all at once.

She was here to collect Rachel, and then escape with her...

Everything came together.

I didn't want to admit to my error. I didn't want to admit that I'd had the wool pulled over my eyes, and made the horrible mistake of trusting Rouge to go anywhere near Rachel. But most of all, I refused to comprehend that something like this would...or was happening right now. They were probably looking for a way out right now. And my mind just wouldn't accept it.

Then, the question in my eyes dispersed and full-on rage took over. I could feel my blood fuming, my heart racing, the energy inside me sizzling with anger. Dr. Eggman was still completely dumbfounded.

"Shadow-...what-"

But I didn't even let him finish.

I turned again, and this time I didn't look back at him to explain. I sped off down the empty hallway, my teeth scraping against each other.

_No. Not on my watch. This is not going to happen. I won't let it happen. Not in a million years._

_I better be wrong. My instincts better be a lie. Rachel and Rouge better still be in that room, just as I left them._

_And if they aren't..._

My mind went blank. I saw nothing but red.

**(Rachel's POV)**

Rouge laced her fingers around the ducts of the air vent in the ceiling and gave the whole thing a sharp tug. After a few seconds of the strained attempt, she let out a loud breath and loosened her grip, running her eyes back over the vent with distaste.

"Open, you stupid air vent! Don't get stubborn with me!" she said through her teeth as she gave the vent another pull, but to avail.

I looked up at her from the ground, my feet bouncing restlessly in place. My neck craned up as I tried to focus in on the corners of the outlet.

"Maybe it's bolted in...?" I said doubtfully, already knowing in my heart that Rouge wouldn't be idiotic enough to try to force open a vent if it was nailed shut by screws.

Rouge growled under her breath. "No, it's not bolted in! This is the vent I came out of earlier! I don't understand why it won't open now. I made sure it was secure when I put it back, but I didn't use super glue on the blasted thing!" she simmered, twitching her violet wings as they started to lose their hold on the air.

I dropped my head down and nervously looked left and right, feeling as though someone was about to jump out and attack us. But there was no one around. The halls were completely deserted. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves.

Nothing was helping my uneasiness. If anything, it only intensified the more I tried to resolve it. The suspense was unbearable. I lifted my eyes back to Rouge, whimpering without intending to.

"Rouge, I don't mean to rush you...but please hurry up!" I yelled. "Once Shadow finds out we're gone, that's it! It'll be the end of this! He'll use Chaos Control to find us, and then we're done for!"

But just as I finished saying this, there was a loud pop, followed by the scratching sounds of metals rubbing against each other. Rouge's wings gave out and she dropped to the ground next to me, holding the uprooted vent in her hand.

Her eyes sparkled with satisfaction and rose up to the rectangular opening above our heads. "Naturally," she said, her tone now more blissful than before.

Before I could respond, Rouge stepped behind me and slipped her hands beneath my underarms. She clamped down and instantly heaved me off the floor in the middle of flight, leaving my body to dangle uncomfortably in the air.

"Woah wait, you're making me go in first?" I protested. "But I don't know where we're supposed to go!"

Rouge sighed. "Calm down. It's gonna be okay. I'll tell you where to go as we move along. I'd rather stay behind you so I can keep an eye on you and make sure you're safe. You know, 'cause at this rate anything can happen."

She stealthily lifted me up so that half my head was inside the vent system. My eyes flickered upward and took in the narrow surroundings. The passage was a long, solid corridor, filled with merged jumbles of gray and black colors. The only light came from the thin beams that shot upwards from the circular gaps of corresponding screws in other vents.

I didn't have time to complain about how I was barely able to see anything. This was my passage to freedom, so none of its flaws mattered to me. I picked my left arm up and shoved it through the tight space, then did the same thing with the other. Rouge gradually released me so I could climb the rest of the way up myself, picking up my ankles to give me a small boost. Almost immediately, I was all the way inside the circuit.

The space was cramped, and the only way I could move was by crawling on my hands and knees. My body was too long for me to turn around. All I could do was look over my shoulder through the edge of my eye.

I turned my head back just in time to see Rouge effortlessly scramble through the opening. Once she was inside with me, she slammed her hands against the bottom and let out another breath. I then could make out a smirk curling over her darkened features.

"See, and you didn't think you could trust me," she said through soft pants.

I sighed and smiled back at her. "...I guess you're right. I'm sorry. Thank you, Rouge. Really, I can't tell you how grateful I am. I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you for this."

She shrugged. "Eh, leave the paying to my boss. I'm just doing my job."

Her friendliness evaporated and determination took its place.

"Okay, that's enough sappiness. Let's get back to escaping."

She bobbed her head to the side as if to look past me. "Now listen carefully. The way out is really simple. The first vent I entered through came from outside the Carrier on the space deck. You don't need to worry about the issue of having oxygen. The deck is pressurized and concealed with a glass cover. We're going to need to find a space suit for you so we can get outside and reach my little spaceship. It's fastened to the side of the Carrier, down a few floors from here. We'll have to hop off the deck and land on the bottom level, which isn't that difficult seeing as there's no gravity to mess up our aim."

I nodded once. "A-Alright..." I said.

She continued. "And then after that, all you have to do is go forwa-"

But then, something jerked Rouge back. Her eyes dilated before she let out a stunned yelp, clawing at the metal underneath her.

I gasped, turning my head around a bit more. "...Rouge?"

Her eyes quivered in place, but then, after she appeared to comprehend what was happening, she took on a sickened scowl.

I rotated my head around even more, to the point that it was stressing the muscles in my neck.

"What's wrong?"

I could feel flames dousing at my heart. What was happening could not be good.

_Please tell me it's nothing. Please tell me she just tripped and everything's okay._

But then Rouge's body jerked backwards again, this time farther than before. I watched her in confusion, but then my mouth dropped open and terror ensued.

There was someone underneath us, pulling her back.

She looked back up at me helplessly, biting her lip. _'Go'_ she mouthed.

It took a moment for me to process the silent message. But once it sank in, I shook my head in objection. There was no way I would leave her behind. Not only because she was the only one who knew the route out of here, but also because it wasn't right to leave her, while _I_ made a break for it. It was my fault she was here. And without her, escape was practically rendered impossible.

When she saw I wasn't budging, she let out an outraged cry, raking her fingers across the cubicle as she was yanked back through the opening.

"Go!" she shrieked before slipping through. _"Go!"_

Once she was pulled out completely, I felt my eyes well up with angry tears.

_No. This isn't happening. This...isn't happening! I can't do this without her!_

I almost turned around to go back and look, and see who it was that had grabbed her. But deep down I strongly preferred not to know. Besides, I couldn't turn my body around anyway. All I could do was go forward, and hopefully I would stumble across the way that Rouge came in from. It was the only way out of here.

But right now, I could hardly remember anything she just told me. I hissed a swear under my breath.

Despite my ebbing hope, I shook my tears away and crawled forward, hearing Rouge grunts of pain fading beneath the vent.

**(Shadow's POV)**

With a swift movement, I slammed Rouge against the wall, my hand knotting around her throat. I picked her off the ground and held her suspended in the air. She cried out before her oxygen was cut off altogether. Her eyelids squeezed together as she put up a fierce struggle against my grasp.

"Let go of me!" she gagged, kicking her legs back and forth without actually managing to hit me. "Knock it off, Shadow!"

Instead of responding to her demands, my eyes drifted back towards the ceiling where the air vent had once been. It was empty. There was a rectangular hole just big enough for a person to fit through. I had no doubt in my mind that Rachel was up there somewhere...crawling over several rooms and halls...long gone by now.

I traced my vision back to Rouge, pulling her towards me slightly before smashing her into the wall again. I glared daggers at her, feeling my heart drum with fresh malice.

_"Where is she,"_ I asked her darkly. My question sounded more like sufficient threat...and in a way it was.

Rouge choked faintly, one eye slightly ajar.

"I don't know..." she said with genuine honesty.

"But...wherever she is...leave...her...be..."

I raised my opposite arm, my energy accelerating.

"Don't play games with me. Tell me _now_, Rouge. If you value your life, tell me where she is...and where she's going."

Rouge was turning purple. She wrapped her hands around my arm, eyeing my readied hand with fear.

"Come on, Shadow... She just wants to go home... everyone wants her to go home. You can come back for the last Emerald if you insist...but please...let Rachel go home..."

She then put up her last fight, which mainly consisted of aimless spasms and the occasional snarl. But then, her limbs dropped lifelessly. She had lost consciousness from the lack of oxygen.

I slowly disengaged my grip and let her crumple to the floor, dropping my hand back to my side.

Rouge had already been working my last nerve. But I never intended for this to happen. I never meant for it to turn this extreme.

She was the one who brought this on herself.

I turned around, giving the desolate air vent one last look. I could've jumped up there and looked for her myself, but that would take ages, and Chaos Control would definitely take me up there, but the little space would prevent me from restraining her.

Instead, I figured there was an easier way. I overheard the last sentences of Rouge's plan. I'd been standing beneath her the entire time, waiting for the right moment to attack. She said something about the air vent she originally entered through to get into the ship. It was somewhere on the deck.

All I had to do was find where she first made her entry on the Egg Carrier, and the rest would fall into place.

**(Rachel's POV)**

I was wracking with tearless sobs. My hands were growing weaker as they dragged my body weight across the narrow air unit.

_What have I gotten myself into. I knew I couldn't do this...I'm hopelessly lost...I don't know left from right..._

I stopped halfway between two cubicles and gritted my teeth, trying to restrain the tears in my eyes. I needed to stop with all this crying. After all, it wouldn't do me anything to help me.

Before all of this, back at home, it was extremely rare for me to cry. But now it was as if I was always on edge. Every little thing set me off.

I slowly started to crawl forward again. I'd been at this for Lord knows how long. My pants had raveled up a little so that the skin on my knees was exposed. They were starting to bruise and ache, and even my hands were going numb from climbing across the cold metal for so long.

I didn't know where to go, or what indication to search for that might lead me in the right direction. I was playing it all by ear, and I hated every second of it.

_I can't do this. That's all there is to it._

But then, I weakly pounded a fist against the metal shaft, careful not to make too much noise. _Oh stop it! Get a hold of yourself, Rachel!_

Sulking and whining wasn't going to make this any easier. Whether I escaped, or was recaptured, that all depended solely on me. I just needed to try a little harder. Freedom was the only thing I yearned for at this point. For sixteen years I took it for granted. It was something I'd been born into, and it had always been my unalienable right. But now that I had been robbed of it, I'd give anything to have even the smallest taste of my independence again.

I kept on crawling. My body was getting sore from being in a crouched position for such a long period of time. My back was beginning to convulse in a fruitless effort to gain more comfort.

A few gleams of light shot past my face as I prepared to pass by another vent.

"I don't know, I'm not entirely sure what's wrong with Shadow either."

I gasped. My movements ceased and I instantly grew tense all over. At first, I just stared blankly ahead, my jaw somewhat dropped. I wanted to believe the gruff voice I just heard was a figment of my imagination, conjured up from paranoia. But I shoved the denial aside, finally finding the courage to look down between the ducts of the vent I was looming over. Down below, I could make out a cage-like view of Dr. Eggman's shiny bald head.

"He's acting rather strange, if you ask me," Eggman continued. His words were directed towards Decoe, Bocoe, and even Bokkun, who were standing a few feet away from him, forming a triangle. The all held the same animated expressions as they watched their master pace back and forth, and once around a lab table with some strange lumpy metal piled on top of it.

"I know what you're talking about and I'm just as confused as you are, Doctor. Maybe it's a hedgehog thing," Bokkun said, folding his arms. "Like...I know Shadow's over sixty years old, but he's still figuratively young, right? He could just be having young person angst."

Decoe glanced at him. "But I thought mood swings were more of a teenager thing."

Bocoe shuddered. "I thought they were a female thing."

Dr. Eggman pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned in agitation.

Bokkun gasped. "Wait a minute. Teenager...girl...hmm...you don't think any of this has to do with Rachel, do you, sir?" he asked him.

The doctor withdrew his hand and brushed it across his stubby chin. "Actually, that's exactly what I believe is causing all this. Not that it makes any logical sense to me."

My heart skipped a beat. I leaned a little closer so that my hair was nearly hanging through the gaps, trying to control my breathing so they wouldn't hear me.

Dr. Eggman sighed. "I've never seen this side of Shadow before. The way he acts towards humans has always been the same. Same resentment, same hostility. Same attitude. But when I do so much as mention Rachel, something about him changes. I feel as though they have a strange chemistry transmitting between them. And in a way, I think Shadow even..._admires_ her."

Bocoe scoffed. "Pfft, yeah right! Of course, not that I'm questioning you, Doctor. Don't get me wrong, Rachel can be very kind and genuine. But that's just the kind of thing that contrasts with Shadow's personality. He would never admire someone with those type of qualities. Those two can't stand the sight of each other. What about her could possibly break through Shadow's hard shell?"

Decoe huffed at his robotic partner. "I completely disagree with you, Bocoe. How is it possible for Rachel to be _too_ nice for Shadow? Wasn't Maria supposedly super sweet too? And her and Shadow were best friends! So your analysis is whack."

"You confounded idiots!" Eggman boomed, silencing Decoe. "That isn't what I meant! I was talking about a...different kind of admiration."

At first, the trio of Eggman cronies exchanged confused glances. Even I didn't fully understand what Eggman had meant by that. But then, Bokkun gasped loudly.

"Doctor...are you saying what I think you're saying? You think that Shadow...has...has..."

His voice fell to a whisper.

"..._feelings_...for Rachel?"

At first, the room dropped into icy silence. Dr. Eggman was glaring at Bokkun, as if he really agreed with his minion's assumption, but saying it out loud was prohibited...like it was some sort of taboo. Decoe and Bocoe turned and glimpsed at each other. I was above them kneeling over the shaft, my eyes wide open.

But then, Decoe, Bocoe and Bokkun all burst into a fit of laughter.

"Ahaha! Oh man, that is rich!" Decoe chortled through his hollow giggles.

Dr. Eggman growled at their behavior.

Bocoe's howls died down to consistent chuckling. "Hah, yeah. Good one Doctor. Shadow...hah...liking Rachel! Haha! It reminds me of that one story that mentions the lion that fell for the lamb!"

Decoe doubled over next to him. "No no, even better! The hedgehog that fell for the human!"

They all cackled again.

But I was _not_ laughing. I was still watching them all, shuddering inwardly with my mouth pressed into a thin line. I wanted to drop down there right now and beat them all senseless for even suggesting that something like could be true. They found it hilarious, while I found it frightening...and wrong. What else did they say when they thought I wasn't listening?

Dr. Eggman shook his head. "You're all fools. Go ahead and laugh. But keep in mind, there's always the slim possibility that maybe-"

"Shadow would need a ladder to reach his new girlfriend?" Bokkun roared in laughter.

Decoe and Bocoe snickered. "No way, the word Shadow and girlfriend don't even belong in the same sentence."

"The three of you need to shut up!" Eggman snapped. "If you haven't noticed, this is a serious matter. Have your fun now, but you wouldn't be laughing at all if Shadow was in the room, now would you!"

The laughter went dead in an instant. An awkward silence drifted about as the three slowly looked behind them cautiously.

Dr. Eggman sighed. "It isn't funny, you guys. It really isn't."

I furrowed my eyebrows in agreement. _Good. At least **he** understands!_

"Maybe it's strange, and unheard of, not to mention completely out of Shadow's regular character to show affection towards another living person if you don't count Maria. But you never know...it might have happened. Rachel's been here for a long time after all. She's been here for a long time around Shadow. Who knows, maybe there's something about their relationship that we don't know. Maybe they're different when it's just them and no one else is around. Maybe they get along."

I rolled my eyes. If only that were true.

"He may even be having second thoughts about returning her altogether. I'm not sure what he plans on doing if she were to stay. So if he acts on these feelings, that's a definite problem. We need to make sure that has no chance of happening. After we get the next Chaos Emeralds, we are heading back to Earth. That's all there is to it."

Bokkun twiddled his thumbs. "Uh, Doctor? What do you mean 'if he acts on these feelings'?"

Dr. Eggman opened his mouth to speak.

_Clink_

He suddenly stopped right there. They all paused and looked up.

I gasped and dropped my eyes down to my chest. The azure heart on my necklace had hit the ducts in the air vent. It was a small sound, yet loud enough to grab everyone's attention. I drew backwards in fear.

Decoe, Bocoe, Bokkun, and Dr. Eggman were all staring at the air vent now.

"What was that." the Doctor said stiffly.

I remained perfectly still, fearing that if I tried to creep past them now, they'd spot my moving shadow. I sank against the opposite wall in the shaft and held my breath, my heart hammering loudly.

But before I knew it, Bokkun was hovering up to the air vent.

"I think it came from up there," he said.

I bit down on my lip, clamping my hands farther onto the metal beneath me, as if the whole thing was about to collapse. Bokkun appeared on the other side of the shaft, peering up through it with his squinted eyes.

I had half a mind to extend my fingers out and jab him in the eyes to temporarily blind him, and then get away. But then, his yellow irises focused in on me and popped wide open, his blue tongue evident in his gaping mouth. I gawked back at him.

_Don't tell me he sees me..._

Bokkun looked like he was about to start hyperventilating.

"Oh my gosh! OH MY GOSH! Someone's in there!" he yelled, not daring to tear his eyes off me.

"I can see them! I can even hear their heartbeat! Someone's inside the air unit!"

Without thinking twice, I crawled forward noisily and scampered away from him. I could feel Bokkun's eyes following me. He screamed again.

"AAAHHH! It's moving! It's getting away!"

I just kept going. I ignored his outcries and the sound of Dr. Eggman and his robots stirring in panic down below. My knees felt like they were about to cave in. My hair fell around my face and I quickly shook it away.

I ran into a sharp, ninety-degree angle turn that directed me to the right, and quickly rotated my body so I could follow it. After what felt like miles of crawling, I came across another fork, this one going left. I swerved past it and continued going straight.

_No dead ends. Please no dead ends._

Then I hit the cross roads. Two corridors. One ran left. The other, right. I froze on my hands and knees, looking back and forth at them. I used the motionless seconds as time to take a breather and give my burning lungs a rest. After some serious evaluating, I finally crawled through the left passage.

I had no gut instinct that told me it was the right way...or that it would lead me to where I wanted to go. But something in my heart told me that going in that direction would make more of a difference for me, rather than if I chose right. I squirmed through the endless path, seeing nothing but cascading darkness in front of me.

But then, as if heaven had answered my most desperate of prayers, I saw a small pinprick of light growing at the center of my vision. I diminished my crawling, gaping at the light as it enlarged the closer I got. I felt the ecstasy and excitement welling up inside me. A grin tugged at the edges of my lips.

_Light...oh sweet, glorious light!_

I'd seen plenty of light up here. But this one wasn't just a thin gleam or square glow that was filtered by ducts. It looked full, bright, and extremely promising.

By the time the light was the size of a waffle, I would've shrieked with happiness if I had the energy.

_This is the way Rouge came in! I actually found it!_

The hope flooded back in an endless swell. I moved faster and faster, feeling the charm around my neck flop around against my collarbone.

And then, the light was right there in front of me.

An empty air vent.

I squealed in joy.

The opening was placed sideways on the wall, rather than underneath me. It led to the floor of an upper level. So there wouldn't need to be any jumping or climbing down, or taking the risk of breaking a bone. Rouge had left the opening uncovered, and I could see that mounting through it would be a breeze.

Once I reached the sharp edges, I poked my head through and lifted it up to take in my surroundings.

There was a large glass dome that shielded me away from the star-splattered skies in this dank, black voided section of the universe. The ground was constructed out of pattern-less tile. There were long, desolate poles jutting up from the floor all around me, each slightly spaced apart. At the tip of them were spherical blue orbs that blinked and hummed like light bulbs. The whole area was dimmed down so that the orbs were able to tint me a dark cobalt color. I placed my hands on either side of me and slowly pulled the rest of my body through the opening until I was entirely out. I lay there on my stomach for a moment, taking it all in with pure gratitude before picking myself back up and standing straight. My knees wobbled and buckled in the process.

So this was the space deck. This is what Rouge was talking about.

I twirled around to look at the other bits and pieces of scenery. It comprised mostly of a large, bulky red and gray exterior that led to the inside of the ship somewhere through the camouflaged doors. There were stamps of what looked like animated versions of Eggman's smiling head and emphasized mustache. The ground stretched out far enough so that I couldn't actually see where it ended. But from what I could see at my spot, there were no other said spaceships around here. So what exactly was I supposed to do now?

There was a quiet whooshing behind me, and for a moment I felt the ground move. I took a few steps back, holding my hands out to maintain my balance. Even though I didn't know what to do from this point, I couldn't help but be overwhelmed with relief. I never imagined I would actually make it this far. I let a confident smile form, thanking God for getting me here.

_Maybe instead of standing out here in the open, I should find some place to hide while I come up with another plan._

I turned around to face the other direction. My eyes ascended up, but I paused and froze in place. My heart leaped into my throat. My face contorted with panic...I was too stunned to scream.

Shadow stood there before me, his head dropped down, with his eyes raised upwards as he wore a sinister glare. He was tossing a red Chaos Emerald up and down in his palm, his other hand pressed against his hip, as if he was waiting for me to react.

_"Going somewhere?"_ he asked me slowly, drawing out his words as if for pure means of psychologically torturing me.

I jumped back, finally finding the breath within me to let out a thick gasp.

Shadow frowned maliciously, mirroring my steps as he drew nearer. He caught the Emerald in his hand and held it there. Its scarlet aura cast mishapen shadows all over his face. His blood-red eyes burned with hatred.

"You're rather brave, Rachel Tower...finding the nerve to try and escape me...but you should've known it would never happen."

I clenched my teeth. "S-Stay back!" I warned. "Don't come near me, or else!"

He lifted an eyebrow, still walking in my direction. "Or else what? You can't get away from me now. You're in the middle of space. You've got no one on your side. The only person who was willing to help you is lying unconscious somewhere in the Carrier. Everyone else is too far away to do anything for your aid. It's just you and me."

I continued to reverse my footsteps.

"Stop...please just stop..." I quietly pleaded.

His frown hardened. "Begging won't help you now."

Suddenly, all the frenzy of feelings inside me sank down to my ankles, and seemingly turned them to stone. I stopped dead in my tracks, fighting the instinct to shake so that I wouldn't look as afraid as I really was.

"Just stay away from me, Shadow..."

He kept right on walking.

"You can't stop me."

I twisted my face in anger, sucking in a huge amount of pressurized air through my nose.

"But you...you promised you wouldn't hurt me..." I whispered timidly, deciding to remind the hedgehog of the promise he made to me not too long ago.

All at once, Shadow stopped right there. His evil snarl softened slightly and he studied me harder.

At first, I felt a small sliver of confidence. From what I could tell, the hedgehog was seemingly reconsidering whatever brutal awakening he had planned for me. Maybe there was a chance we could reconcile.

As selfish as it sounded, I didn't want this to ruin any amendment we had come close to making. And maybe Shadow would feel the same way, if he could really see how terrified I was right now.

But just as I started to relax, Shadow's face advanced into piercing rage. He threw his Chaos Emerald away as it rolled off to the side, and lunged forward, tackling me to the ground.

"Aah!" I screamed. My back slid across the floor after the impact. I felt the lightheadedness overpower me, and just as it started to clear, a weight mashed on top of me and rendered me immobile.

I looked up and was met with Shadow's crimson red eyes. He emitted a low, dark growl, crouching over me like a tiger does before it devours a deer. I squealed angrily and tried to pry him off me, but his hands clasped down over my wrists, pinning me down. He moved his legs to either side of me so that I was completely trapped underneath him. That stimulating, electric sensation was mercilessly seeping through me from all over.

I felt my face turn scorching hot as I scrambled to move away from him. "Get off me!" I shouted, squirming in discomfort. _"Get off!"_

Shadow didn't peel his eyes off me. I could feel him watching me through my peripheral vision. I turned my head sharper to the side.

"Look at me," he ordered in that same evil, sadistic manner.

I didn't budge. This wasn't the first time he'd asked me to do this. The last time he did, he forced me to face him. But this time, his hands were occupied with my wrists so I actually had a choice.

He growled again. "I said _look at me!"_

My tears started to build up again. The electricity was still soaking through me, making me feel cold. I kept my face turned away and stared out at the stars.

_I was so close..._

_I was so close..._

Shadow suddenly tightened his grasp.

"Dammit, Rachel! _Look at me, right now!"_

That was it. That last bondage that was gripping onto my sanity for dear life finally snapped. Hearing that hedgehog yell in my ear made my mind blister with anger. All I wanted was to go home. Was that so wrong? Was I supposed to want to be here? I was so incredibly far from my family, from my friends...from my species altogether. This monster...this monster that was kneeling over me...he did it. He was the one that made my life a living hell.

I whipped my head around to face him, my eyes shining with tears.

_"What!"_

Shadow responded with slamming his mouth against my own.

My eyes glazed over, my mind went totally bare. My pounding heart felt like it had suddenly turned to solid ice. Every muscle in me went completely limp.

Shadow was still straddling me, his chest grinding against mine. The feeling in his lips was like static energy, in a strange, liquid-like form. It encased my mouth and flowed down my chin, then down my neck, past the heart of Maria's necklace in soft prickles.

I tried to register all this. I tried to move, to fight back, to scream in protest. But all my senses were dead. The only thing I could do was feel. Feel Shadow enveloping me, dominating me, showing something that danced between hate and passion.

I couldn't figure it out. All I could wonder was..._how._

As the seconds dragged by, I waited for my strength to flourish, so I could push this guy off me and end all of this right now. But no matter how badly I wanted to, I couldn't move. My breath stuck to the inside of my throat. Everything suddenly felt surreal, like it wasn't happening. Like it was all a dream.

Finally, I sensed my heartbeat returning. My heart and Shadow's heart were hitting against each other like ricocheting mallets. I didn't even know this guy had a heart.

Why was he doing this to me.

Why me.

Of all people in the world for this to happen to...it had to be me.

I felt like I could die right there...from all the shock and depression rocketing through me in an endless escapade. The only thing keeping me alive was the electrical sensation from Shadow's touch scattering about.

What would my family say...what would my Grandpa say if he saw us right now...doing this. Witnessing Shadow hit his ultimate low.

But the images of him and the rest of the people I loved finally made the tears drip down the sides of my face.

Instead of being home with them, I was here in outer space...with an evil, monstrous artificial Life-form, who went from abusing me, hating me, loathing me, tolerating me, to hating me again, and then kissing me against my will.

Absolutely nothing made sense anymore.

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**(A/N): Computer trouble as always. But hey, this long chapter sort of makes up for the delay, right?**

**Yep, after twenty two long, beauteous chapters, the romance finally kicked in. Or, more like happened out of nowhere. I really hope it caught you all off guard...I was trying to pull the WOW factor. Or maybe you saw it coming a mile away. Eh, whatever Trevor.**

**This is where the fanfic gets a little...eh...not for everyone. Some people don't support this kind of pairing and I understand that. But it's not like this story is rated M. It isn't going to turn into something grotesque. I want this story to be remembered for something other than its level of sexuality, as opposed to other stories on here where that's the only thing the plotline circulates around.**

**I originally planned to make this into two chapters, but figured cutting it off at another cliffhanger would be like a slap in the face for the readers. It would definitely piss ME off. The ending here can be considered a cliffhanger in some way, but at least you were able to conclude some stuff.**

**I can honestly say I've read all the reviews and every single one made me smile. I love getting people's feedback, even if it hardly says anything at all.**

**I guess you can say the story is almost done. I can't tell you how many chapters are left because I haven't organized the pending ideas separately. But this story definitely won't go up to 46 chapters. So let's just say it's about three quarters done.**

**My thoughts as I wrote this...? _'Hell yes finally!'_ Haha I've been dying to get somewhere with Shadow and Rachel since chapter one but didn't want to rush into it. I guess I took too long with it at the same time. Sorry bout that?**

**Anyways, I love you guys. Review, PM, favorite, alert, all that good stuff, See you guys later :)**


	24. A Glitch Off Your Lips

**(Shadow's P.O.V.)**

_Wham!_

Something firm hit me with mind-splitting impact, right on the side of my face. Upon being belted, a sickly cracking noise sounded against my skull, and for a moment I could've sworn something within my head had managed to cave in from the strength of the blow. The force clouted me off my hands and feet, instantaneously ripping me away from Rachel as I flipped over onto the ground and landed on my back.

"Agh!" I drew in, feeling the impulse of pain deflect into a rippling ache. My eyes flew open and flickered.

_What the hell? What just hit me? Felt like a damn meteor!_

I then turned my head and was greeted by a lopsided angle of Rachel gaping back at me. She was knelt down on one knee, crouching as if ready to spring away at any given moment, but having stopped to survey what she'd done as if she herself could not believe it. Her beryl green eyes were wild and afraid, but I could see the hints of determination drawn behind them. She looked repulsed, outraged, afraid, and borderline insane all at the same time. I then noticed that her hand was locked into a quivering fist.

Putting one and one together, my eyes widened. It was her that had knocked me down. It shouldn't have been that surprising, since it seemed like a proper reaction, but I would've never guessed she could punch that hard. Ever.

Once the shock had faded, I retaliated with a low, steady groan and immediately tried to lift myself back up. But the ache swelled again with vengeful anguish, sending me back to the cold floor. I inhaled slowly and let myself revive. It wasn't that I couldn't function after the little hit. But I knew I would stagger when I stood up, and didn't feel the need to appear weakened.

Something else was keeping me there. I needed to sit back and think about this. Think about what just happened.

I lay there soaking it all in. Everything that had taken place. Everything that was happening right now. What I did...what I chose to do not too long ago...everything.

I felt as though it was only my imagination. I never actually brought myself to do such a thing, did I? It was too…human of me. It was something that humans themselves had inaugurated.

I knew what a kiss was. I knew what it was used for, the kinds of affection it was meant to display.

And I just used it. On Rachel.

_It couldn't have happened. It just couldn't have._

But the heat that was still dying off my lips proved evidence enough.

I remembered the prickling euphoria that the little form of contact had brought about. It was unlike anything I'd ever felt before in my life. It concocted these blissful, yet aggressive feelings inside. It made me excited, yet angry. Delicate...while unmistakably ravenous.

Whatever it was, a part of me had wanted it to last longer. Much longer.

_What has gotten into me?_

I heard the sound of retreating footsteps. My head jerked back around, which was a horrible idea because it brought on even more unpleasant pain. I peered upwards with a glazed expression and watched Rachel's figure shrink as she treaded away.

For a moment I just remained there, dumbfounded that despite everything that had been said and done on my part, she'd still managed to get away from me again. Then the fury drilled back in all at once.

"Hey! Get back here!"

Of course, I should've known better. She wasn't going to listen to my orders when I couldn't do anything in my position to enforce them. In fact, after we'd grown several meters apart, she gave no indication of even hearing me at all. She was too focused on her short-lived freedom. She simply turned around to make sure I still had not gotten up, but never stopped or slowed down. She kept running until she was up against the side of the Egg Carrier's exterior, where she came to a screeching halt, zeroing in on the panels in front of her before moving her hands frantically over the metal, as if searching for a nonexistent opening.

"N-No..." I heard her whisper disbelievingly as she desperately traced her fingers all over the wall, looking left and right as she side-stepped along the surface. "_No._"

I lye there and continued watching her, no longer feeling the rush and urgency to catch her anymore. It was clear she wasn't going anywhere, whether I was there to stop her or not. She couldn't even locate a door. And inside there wouldn't be anyone or anything that could help her anyway.

_That's it. Just run and panic, Rachel. Run and panic. That's the only thing you know how to do. And maybe pack in a decent punch. But other than that, you know as well as I do that escape is out of the question._

I anticipated more of her nonsensical rambling, and even waited for the usual wailing and sobbing. But she was quiet, not counting the sound of the metal as she tapped and nudged it, ineffectively searching for some way to the other side.

Little did she know was that there was no actual door on this area of the deck. The fastest way back inside was through Chaos Control.

After I figured the dispute had dragged on long enough, I pushed myself up onto my feet, lifting my weight with my legs, and once I was straight, silently strode over to gather the Chaos Emerald. I reached down and swathed my hand around it. Once it was resting in my palm, it illuminated with its red hue. I slowly recoiled the gem to my chest, now walking in Rachel's direction.

My heart grew feverishly hot with every step that closed our distance. I wasn't sure what this feeling was. It couldn't have been just the raw anger. No, anger was only a small portion of it. Whatever I was experiencing couldn't be put into words, even inside my own head.

She was turned away from me, her hands still roughly flattened against the fusible wall. Her body writhed with small pants as I gradually made my way closer and closer to her. I didn't bother to be quiet or keep my presence unknown. My steps were swift and loud, outwardly expressing how annoyed I was with the whole ordeal.

By the time I was right behind her, she paused and fell totally silent. She knew I was there, but for some reason she wouldn't move or acknowledge me whatsoever.

I ignored her unusual behavior and extended a hand toward her, seizing a hold of her arm. I was aiming to use Chaos Control and teleport her back to her room, this time locking her in for good...so she couldn't go and pull a foolish stunt like this again. I'm not sure what Eggman was thinking when he gave her access to the whole vessel.

She wouldn't travel along in the warp if I wasn't connected to her somehow. Otherwise if I didn't have to touch her, I figured at one point I would've kept as far away as possible. At my own expense, and for the sake of my head.

Once my hand was wound around her, she shrunk under the contact and grew rigid.

I found it in me to finally speak the usual command and bring about the Chaos energy.

_Alright. I guess this is over now._

"Chaos Contro-"

"_AAAAAAAH!_"

Right as the process started to take effect, Rachel swung around and violently knocked me back onto the ground, restraining me from above. Her knees pinned me down at my midsection, leaving my arms draped apart. She shrieked angrily and struck her fists against my torso, chest, and all over my face.

I felt the familiar stinging tear across every square inch of me. Even though I was made to heal quickly, my body was too slow to counteract against the bruises she was forming just by hitting me in certain places more than once. She made sure to leave no area unmarked.

I tried to reach up and grab her hands to stop her, but her speed and position rendered me immobile. Plus, I was also clinging to the Chaos Emerald in one hand.

Compared to what occurred not too long ago, it would seem our roles had been reversed.

But the Chaos Control was still in effect. The white light from the time-bending entity molded around us, bathing us in the endless intensity as our setting melted into the inside of a room from within the Egg Carrier. The glass windows and stars around us disappeared and colorless walls took their place. But as far as my eyes could see past Rachel's flying fists and my own screwed eyelids, the room we were in was definitely not B-12.

"You _moron_!" Rachel screamed, suddenly approaching my face with her own as she continued attacking me.

I averted my eyes back to hers, and could actually feel my heart do a short jump at how terrifyingly mad she looked.

"You evil, mindless, demented moron! How _dare_ you! I could kill you right now! I hate you! I hate you! Oh God I hate you so _much_!"

I knew that if I actually put effort into trying, I was fully capable of getting this girl off me. But for some, possibly illogical reason, I didn't bother to do it. Something about the way she asserted her anger just kept me right where I was, stunned, but completely conscious. I could feel the frustration radiating off her. In fact, I'd come to accept that this was probably what I deserved for doing what I did. Otherwise, I wouldn't have let it drag out this far.

Indeed, what I did was entirely unnecessary. That kiss...really...what was I thinking?

I still couldn't figure out what brought me to do it in the first place. I just knew it had something to do with that strange little feeling of mine.

Suddenly, her attacks ceased all at once, and she changed her stance and took hold of me by my shoulders, lifting me up slightly before slamming me back down. I hit the ground with a small 'oomf.'

"You tell me right now..." she said. Her voice had become quiet and deadly. "...just what the hell you were thinking..."

I frowned sharply, finding it in me to utter a few words.

"...You're over-reacting," I said plainly. My voice sounded a bit shot, but it was equally as threatening as hers.

"Here you are throwing a tantrum like the brat that you are, when you should be a lot more thankful. I could always have done something worse, and you know it. Something much, much worse."

My irises locked with hers, and I sent silent reminiscent warnings based off of what happened the last time she pushed me too far.

"Nothing could've been worse. I can assure you that. Nothing," she seethed. "So listen and listen good. Just for future reference, in case you ever feel the need to punish me in your cruel and twisted ways, just hit me with another one of those spears! I mean it! It's a lot easier for the both of us!"

She picked me up and slammed me down again, in an unsettling rhythm with her outbursts.

"Because I would rather-"

_Slam_

"Be covered in scars-"

_Slam_

"Bleed from all over-"

_Slam_

"And have it done a million more times-"

_Slam_

"Than have you ever-"

_Slam_

"Do something-"

_Slam_

"Like that-"

_Slam_

"Again!"

I gritted my teeth as she finished, glaring at her murderously.

"Trust me, you unintelligent human, that can be easily arranged," I spat, lifting my head a little so our noses nearly brushed one another. She moved back, flashing a disgusted scowl.

Suddenly, a voice boomed over us.

"WOULD SOMEONE KINDLY TELL ME WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON HERE!"

Rachel and I both whipped our heads to the side in unison, and looked up to find none other than a bewildered Dr. Eggman staring back down at us.

My eyes instantly widened. The doctor copied my reaction, gawking at the two of us like we were the most bizarre things he'd ever seen. His mouth was hanging open in a way that I'd never thought possible. All the while, the controls and buttons on his keyboards and computers bleeped idly behind him.

Immediately, my mind fused with questions. I shifted my eyes everywhere, realizing that we were in the central control room.

_...How are we here? How could we have turned up here, when my focus was on warping to B-12?_ _Is this some kind of joke?_

This had never happened to me before. It didn't make the slightest sense.

Dr. Eggman then frowned.

"Hmph. Decoe, take Ms. Tower back to her room and lock her door. Behavior like that must be restrained somehow."

I felt Rachel's weight pried off of me. My head turned just in time to see Decoe, Dr. Eggman's robot assistant who was strangely unaccompanied by Bocoe, pulling her back with his robot arms enclosed around her waist.

After her face took on one of shock, she gnashed her teeth together and started thrashing in protest, trying to disengage his grip by manually yanking his claw-like hands apart. Decoe looked over from behind her shoulder and peered at her worriedly, like he didn't really enjoy having to do what he was doing. But he didn't have a choice. He wouldn't release her.

Her eyes squeezed shut as he pulled her away from me and through the door's opening, farther and farther out of the room.

"No!" she screamed as her voice diminished down the hall. "You can't do this! _He's_ the one you want to lock up! Not me!"

It was followed by Decoe's robotized voice.

"Ms. Tower, I'm begging you to calm down, please," he requested gently.

But right before they fell out of hearing range, Rachel let out a slow, chilling cry.

"GET ME OUT OF HERE!" she screamed desperately. "Get me out of this place! Please! I can't take it anymore! I'm done! I give up! I want to go home!"

And then nothing.

My spine chilled a little. I watched the empty archway where the door was, breathing rather heavily.

Dr. Eggman's voice interrupted all my thoughts.

"Well," he started, chuckling darkly,

"It looks like you finally broke her."

The grimness in his tone made me feel incredibly vulnerable, almost as if I was being scolded, which was something I didn't quite understand. Weren't my instructions from the start to 'break' the hostage as soon as possible? But now I knew we were both having our doubts that any of this was ever a good idea, after watching the savage teenage girl who'd been whisked away by his robot.

I jumped to my feet, my eyes trailing down to the floor with the smallest twinge of guilt.

I didn't want to talk. But I knew the Doctor did.

"Here I am," he started rather casually, "minding my own business...converging status marks on my universal map to help pinpoint the precise destination of the next Chaos Emeralds so the coordinates will be exact...and I turn around and find you on the floor with Rachel beating you to a pulp from above."

He then twined his fingers.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested in what's going on. So, let's hear it. What exactly did you do to her? And would you mind telling me how it led to all this..._commotion_?"

At first, I figured I could just avoid the subject and turned away, readying myself to leave.

"Nothing, of course! You know how she is. She's just making a huge fuss over nothing as usual."

But then, the door slid shut in front of me, denying me my exit. I stopped and flung back around with a growl. Dr. Eggman was facing his control pad, his hand flitting over a button.

He was the one that shut the door. He was keeping me trapped in here until I told him the truth. I knew I could've just warped away, but the act itself angered me a lot more than it should have.

"Oh, come on! Enough of the games, Doctor!" I yelled, infuriated. "Open the door right now before I break it down myself!"

"Shadow," he cooed in a much softer voice than mine. "Take a deep breath. Try to relax a little. You don't have to explain much. I understand most of what's happened so far."

I paused.

"You...you do?"

He nodded and stepped closer, his expression wary and cautious.

"After a little research, yes. It appears that Rachel tried to escape with Rouge the Bat, correct? Mhm, I'm already well fond of that information. We found Rouge passed out in one of the halls. Why she's unconscious, I have no idea, but I'm sure you do. Anyway, Decoe and Bocoe had her taken to the prison unit at the bottom of the Carrier. She's currently locked away in one of the cells and under heavy surveillance. She hasn't awoken yet, but in the meantime I doubt she'll be causing us anymore trouble."

His head tilted upward and he fixedly watched the vent in the ceiling for a moment.

"And...I also take it that Rouge wasn't the one who was up there. It turned out to be Rachel after all."

I didn't bother looking up along with him, and simply lowered my head once in reply.

Somehow, thinking about how not too long ago, Rachel was on her hands and knees dragging herself through the air system set on reaching her escape, oddly made my throat knot.

"So," he continued. "I'm this far along."

He held out his hand and tapped each finger individually, taking note of his context clues.

"Rouge showed up on specific orders to rescue Tower, probably from the Commander himself. And I'm assuming she made up some backstory on how I was informed on her arrival...which I clearly wasn't, and managed to fool you."

He looked at me sternly. "How you could've gone along with what she said without question is beyond me. You're usually much more skeptical, and not nearly gullible enough to fall for the antics of someone like Rouge the Bat. I take it you just had your hands full at the moment."

I frowned to myself as the memories phased.

"And then, when you turned up to talk with me, the two of them used that to their advantage and made their attempt at escaping the Egg Carrier. They proceeded with climbing through the air vents, and you were able to nab Rouge while Rachel was already too far into the cubicles, beyond your reach, and managed to get away. Am I right so far?"

I nodded solemnly.

"Okay, and so then you later found Rachel."

He'd been dabbing at his pinky when his hands fell away and folded across his stomach.

"Now I'm relying on you to tell me the rest. What happened from that point, to now?"

I realized he was expecting me to tell him all my actions. But I silently refused to list the pending details. My hands cupped around the Chaos Emerald protectively, my thumbs moving over it in circles.

"How about you answer this first," I said quickly, changing the subject. "Tell me how I ended up here in the main room, when I was originally trying to warp to Rachel's room. You must have some sort of idea as to why that happened."

Dr. Eggman furrowed his eyebrows for a moment before shrugging it off. "Eh, I'm guessing you just didn't concentrate hard enough."

My gaze hardened as it transferred up to meet his eyes. "I was concentrating perfectly fine. This room never came into mind. Rachel attacked me in the middle of the teleportation, if that makes a difference. But even then I've been under similar circumstances. It never knocked me off my path then, so I don't understand why it would now."

Before I even finished, the Doctor's eyes had greatly enlarged behind his round, heavily tinted spectacles.

"So...are you suggesting that Rachel had influence on the location?"

I froze, having not even considered this. "I don't know, could she do that?" I asked cynically.

Dr. Eggman grew unnaturally still, his arms slowly unraveling and falling by his sides.

"…I believe you had a glitch."

I lifted an eyebrow.

"Pardon?"

"A glitch," he repeated. "They...they never told you about that did they? Them being the scientists on the ARK?"

I just stared back at him blankly.

He sighed. "Okay, well then allow me to explain. When a creature that can harness Chaos Energy, such as yourself, is warping and has their intended location faltered or changed entirely, it usually means they were unknowingly thinking of the alternative place somewhere in the back of their mind. It's even more understandable if they're taking something or someone along with them, because distractions tend to happen easier in those cases. But if said creature knows for a fact that they weren't distracted, then it would mean the person they were taking had influence on where they appeared. Said person has to be either touching the source of energy or touching the transmitter, which would be you. And the term for that is a glitch."

I glared at him quietly.

"...But that's impossible."

"Actually, you're very wrong. Sure it's extremely rare, especially for a creation like you who was designed to not flaw so easily and allow access to surrounding bystanders, and even more so because it was a human who supposedly glitched you when humans don't hold Chaos Energy in their capacity. But it's definitely not impossible," he said, suddenly observing me more carefully.

"Although, this would be the first time I've ever seen one occur myself. And I don't think there even is a documented case of a glitch involving a human."

"...I'm still not sure whether I'm supposed to believe you or not. I've never heard of a glitch. And how does something like that just happen? I've used Chaos Control when she was around many times before. Why all of a sudden-"

"Like I said, humans naturally don't carry the power of Chaos. So if it was indeed a glitch, then it means your energy managed to flow through her via some sort of trigger...which, might I add, is mostly knowingly done through sensitive, physical contact."

He suddenly grew quiet,

"But these triggers don't come from just flesh to flesh contact. There has to be an exchange of some sort. Such as, for example..."

His tone became sinfully hushed.

"Exchanging saliva?"

It sank in like a marble in water. I paused right there, my mouth pressing together and my eyes becoming glazed.

It dawned on me what I had done. I'd practically connected the dots for him. I put signs all around the path leading to his conclusion. He was able to figure it out with my own help. I knew there was no backing out now.

Dr. Eggman became evidently serious. He looked almost like he wanted nothing to do with the subject, but felt he had no other option.

"Okay, now you really need to tell me what happened. And there's no dodging it any longer, Shadow. You better come clean about everything."

I just stood there for a moment, taking my time to absorb everything whilst reeling in a deep breath.

And then I finally came out and released it.

"I kissed the hostage."

**(Rachel's P.O.V.)**

My insides felt like they were literally combusting with open flames. Thin ligatures of bitterly cold electricity were weaving in and out of my veins, as if forming icy ribbons. It was imploding me in, steaming my body until I'd burst into a pained and tired sweat.

I couldn't stop moving, no matter how hard I tried. Every last one of my limbs was wound with restlessness. Which is why I now had Decoe _and_ Bocoe, who'd appeared a few minutes after Bocoe had dragged me to my room and noticed me trying to run out, were doing their best to hold me in place on the bed.

"I swear to God I will rip your heads off if you don't let me go, you stupid robots!" I screamed, trying to push back and oppose their forceful motion. "I've had enough of people handling me, hauling me around, and pinning me down like an animal! Let me up, damn you!"

"Oh Rachel, enough of this. Please chill out," Decoe timidly coaxed. Although I was only able to catch glimpses of his face in the middle of my fit, I could tell he was startled and downright disturbed out of his wits at what he was witnessing. But to their credit, neither of them had ever seen this side of me before. Heck, not even_ I_ had seen this side of me before. I felt like I was a candle being lit at both ends, melting further and further into a stumpy, knotted bundle of heated nerves. I couldn't control my temper. Something inside me was flared, and for some reason it wanted to destroy everything in sight.

"Don't tell me to calm down! Do you have any idea what that...that _monster_ back there has put me through! No, you don't! You're ignorant! Every last one of you!"

"Well you're right, we don't know what happened. So you wouldn't mind telling us, would you?" said Bocoe almost hopefully. They both probably wanted to be let in on what was going on. But I shook my head viciously.

"Never! I won't tell either of you! I'd rather die! I just want you both to let go!"

"Not happening, Rachel Tower. Now please, we'll ask you one more time-"

"Go to hell!"

Decoe mewed in fear.

"This is not a job fit for two underdeveloped robots such as ourselves..." he said. "This is a job for an exorcist."

"Agreed," nodded Bocoe while still hassling with me. "You would think the Doctor would have had the decency to build us with steel muscles or something, if he planned on having us do something like this."

"But that's the thing. He didn't plan it at all."

Suddenly, the inner fires shot through me in a painfully scorching heat. My entire body was throbbing with a merciless sting as it scattered through me in a barb wired pattern. It caused me to gasp, and then shriek.

Decoe and Bocoe gawked at me with wide eyes.

"Oh my gosh! What's wrong with her!"

I screamed again, my muscles slashing against the mattress underneath me. My leg flew up and I kicked Bocoe square in his metallic jaw. He stumbled back a bit.

"Decoe, something's happening!" he exclaimed, ignoring the newly formed dent in his face.

"Well, isn't it up to us to settle her down so we can leave?" Decoe replied anxiously, his metal hands clamping down harder on my wrists to the point that they crunched lightly. But that was nothing compared to the endless, fiery tingle that was slicing me up and down like a bladed pendulum.

Bocoe's eyes popped open again. "Ooh, I have an idea! Why don't we use a sedative?"

"Huh? But we're not allowed to do that!"

"And why not?"

"Well...we don't know what it would do to her when she's in this-"

I screeched loudly again.

"-...condition!"

Bocoe cowered away from my legs again as they landed jagged kicks in the air.

"You're right, but we have to do something!"

Decoe cringed. "At this point, there's only one person in the Egg Carrier that could ever manage to get her under control. We all know who that is."

My heart stopped. I knew in a heartbeat who he was referring to.

"NO!" I hollered, flailing even harder than before. "No no no no! Don't even think about that! I-...I...-!"

I tried to hold still, shaking against my strength, but quickly became unsuccessful as I had another spasm.

"I'm not trying to do this!...I...swear...I'm trying to hold still..."

My whole body was getting sore from the excessive movement. Now I was genuinely afraid.

"...but I can't!"

Decoe and Bocoe exchanged glances, and then both released me at the same time, holding their hands up as if surrendering. I was still writhing, but this time I grabbed the sheets underneath me, balling the material into my hands and clenching my teeth.

"It hurts..." I said slowly. I was able to register the pain in these odd sensations, but at the same time they felt natural with my boiling anger. Yet I still wanted it to stop.

"...It...hurts...so bad..."

I tried my absolute hardest not to cry.

_What's going on with me...?_

My head pressed farther back into the pillow and I groaned, opening my eyes to look at the robots. They were still staring at me...like the crazy lunatic that I was...before Decoe grabbed his counterpart's arm and urged him out the sliding door.

"Come on," he said diligently.

"Let's go get Shadow."

Bocoe gasped. "But she-"

"I know, but whether or not we have her consent is not the key issue right now," he cut him off.

"Like it or not, she needs help. Before she hurts someone else, including herself."

**(Shadow's P.O.V.)**

"You're out of your mind."

The Doctor said this to me calmly and credibly. It left me more uneasy than I predicted.

Before I had the chance to respond, he took a step closer, looming over me.

"You...eheheh...you kissed Rachel Tower..." he said the sentence as if it tasted bitter on his tongue. His mustache scrunched in as he reached his hand up and scratched the back of his head.

"Are you even Shadow the Hedgehog anymore?"

My eyes lingered upwards to his, slanting in anger.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're insane!" he declared matter-of-factly. "They may call me a mad scientist, which does fit my description rather accurately. But I'm no aggressive, temperamental hedgehog who chases after females that aren't even of his own species. That...my furry little friend...is in its own category of 'mad'."

He didn't look at me like I was crazy, though. He gave me a very intrigued glare.

"This can't be possible, though..." he leered on. "You're not even an authentic hedgehog. You were created with only one purpose, and when that purpose lost its value...you were given another that met your standards, and that was to be a destructive, catastrophic weapon."

I could see his masked, powdery blue irises shift little by little.

"You weren't made to feel these kind of emotions."

My heart did a huge jolt for some reason when those words left his mouth. It even alarmed me. I looked down for a moment, past the glossy white abundance on my chest, as if expecting to see the beating organ like it had launched itself out from under my skin.

"Feel..." I breathed the word out slowly. "I...feel..."

I then hesitantly gave up. "I honestly don't know what I feel."

Dr. Eggman took a step back, cocking an eyebrow.

"Yes, well..."

He turned his back to me, walking back over to his computers and began clicking buttons on the keyboard. The screens in front of him flashed with green fonts of numeric commands and spliced data files.

"I'm a scientist, not a psychologist."

His head then turned so that one eye met both of mine. "But if people didn't dub me as being completely mad..."

His eyes then lowered.

"I'd say you were in love with her."

My heart thudded again. This time I swallowed in correspondence. My entire face became stiff with fear and the smallest bit of realization.

Fear because I didn't want that to be the _thing_ I was feeling. And realization, because it somehow made a lot more sense that I would've ever hoped for.

But again, I just wouldn't accept it.

"...Don't be ridiculous!" I nearly shouted as he turned away again. "How could you even suggest something so foolish! You're accusing me of being in love? With Rachel Tower? Tugh, you really _are _insane!"

I crossed my arms furiously. "And you know I don't believe in love! I've made that clear already!"

The Doctor shrugged. "So what if you don't believe in it? Doesn't mean you can't feel it."

His fingers typed away at a faster pace. "Although...if I were to give advice on the matter, I'd say don't pursue these feelings that you won't admit to. You're forgetting, she's Abraham Tower's grand-daughter. You've been acquainted with Tower longer than I have, but even I know what the outcome of all this could turn into. What if she tells him about this little event right as we're delivering her for ransom? He already wants to kill you. And after hearing you forcibly kissed her, he'll want to kill you, set your corpse on fire, make a camp around your burning body, and then roast marshmallows over it."

Then his pace slowed.

"And besides, we all know that Rachel would never return those feelings. So do us all a favor, and don't harass the poor girl any longer. She's been through enough as it is."

My arms tightened around each other and I looked away silently.

"Doctor...I know you don't believe me, but I never planned for any of this to happen."

I bit down on my lip, speaking barely above a whisper.

"It just happened."

"Because?" Dr. Eggman followed immediately.

My eyes shifted up and bore into his back. "Because she had tried to get away, and I didn't know what else to do without hurting her. It was part of a promise."

"Because?" he repeated.

"Because...the deal was we'd find all the Chaos Emeralds before bringing her back to Earth. I was simply trying to follow through with that and keep her from getting away, but also keep from killing the girl."

"Because?"

I huffed, not understanding what he was playing at. "She needed to be punished, didn't she? One way or another."

"Because?"

"I'm not going to have her trying to leave again."

"Because?"

"Of all people, I can't stand Rouge the Bat. And her making this kind of interference is unacceptable."

"Because?"

"Rachel wasn't for her to take."

"Because?"

"For now, she's our hostage and she has to stay here."

"Because!"

"Obviously because we need her and I can't let her leave!"

"...Because..."

A sigh of defeat finally escaped me. "What...what else is there left to say!"

"I'm waiting for you to admit to it."

"Admit to _what_!"

"That you love her!"

"I do not!"

"Do too!"

"You're wrong!"

"I'm right."

"NO!"

"YES!"

There was a loud banging at the entry door.

"Doctor! Doctor are you in there?"

Still in a fit of rage, I flung around and faced the door, recognizing the voice immediately. It was Decoe.

Dr. Eggman spun around in his chair. The wheels creaked noisily underneath him.

"...Hmm! Hey, be careful with the knocking there!" he gruffly scolded, seemingly dropping our conversation like it never took place to begin with. "Your little knobby hands will dent the door!"

There was silence for a moment.

"Yeah, he's in there," Bocoe followed.

Decoe, who we now could conclude was with him, groaned irritably. "Thanks for enlightening me on that, genius."

Then there was the sound of a shove.

"Ah, never mind that!" Bocoe hollered. "Shadow wouldn't happen to be in there too, would he? We need him A.S.A.P.!"

I blinked uncomfortably. Something about the desperation in their tones gave me an awful feeling. There was only one reason why they would be trying to find me. It could only have to do with the very person I was trying to forget about.

"Doctor, could you open the door," I asked softly, facing the sealed opening head on.

He didn't respond right away, and after some seconds went by, finally shifted back around. The click of a button was heard, and the door in front of me parted at the center before slicing open with a short hiss. The two bumbling robots appeared between the gap, looking uncollected and extremely nervous.

"Well, what is it? What do you need?" I asked, more interested that I would've anticipated.

Decoe clasped his hands together, linking his fingers. "Oh, Shadow, it's Rachel!" he cried out.

I stiffened. Figures it would be something having to do with her.

He didn't seem to notice my obvious discomfort and went on. "We're really worried about her! And I mean really, really worried!"

"Something's seriously wrong !" Bocoe said. "We don't know what's going on, or how to handle the situation on our own! It's like she's having a seizure...or something along those lines!"

I lifted an eyebrow, fondling the Chaos Emerald in my hand.

_So...do I go?_ I berated to myself.

_If she's really being that dramatic, then honestly...what the hell. What happened between us is not worth having a seizure over._

But then, a nagging voice took over my thoughts, telling me that maybe something really might be wrong with her.

"A seizure, you say?" Dr. Eggman said behind me.

Then he gasped. "...Uh-oh."

I turned slightly to look at him.

Opposite to how engaged he seemed earlier, he now looked thoroughly concerned.

"Shadow...

it's the energy," he said placidly. "The energy of Chaos.

It really is inside of her."

This time, it took a little longer for me to process what he was saying. But then I felt my heart fall deep into to my stomach. I unintentionally made a small noise in the process.

"You remember what I said before. How humans aren't made to carry that level of power. Well...I imagine that it can damage them internally...and damage them rather badly at that. It's dangerous to their muscle and bone structure."

He gestured to the golden ornaments on my wrist.

"And just like you need those to maintain the energy before it drains, the energy within her is probably trying to unleash itself, and that's why she's having these fits. The anatomy of a human body detects the unknown courses of electricity as a toxic antibody and does everything in its power to rid itself of it. But if it isn't drained gradually and properly, something could break, tear, or even mutate. She could become wounded beyond repair, maybe even kil-...wait, Shadow come back!"

I had already bolted past the robots and was now tearing down the hall at break-neck speed, with Dr. Eggman desperately calling after me.

**(Rachel's P.O.V.)**

My fingers numbly shivered around the cylindrical marble of the portable lamp from my bedside.

It was my only weapon. My only means of defense.

My panting could have easily been confused for something that was out of exhaustion. But this wasn't the case. I was running on nothing but a never-ending supply of rampaging fuel...or at least that's what it felt like. But whereas some people were actually junkies for this type of sensation, in my case it wasn't pleasing in the slightest. In fact...it was agonizing.

My eyes were pouring over with streams of water. They weren't tears, however. Not even tears that commenced from the pain. It was like when someone has dust or an eyelash stuck on the surface, and their whole eyeball flushes out with endless fluid until its extracted completely. But there was nothing in my eye, let alone both of them. It was like this energy was actually taking measures to escape through my face.

I could barely see through all the messy blurs. The light from the lamp looked hazy through my vision, and sometimes the rays would distort and elongate the more water that was shed. I tried to steady my breathing, but it came out in repetitive cries, making my throat clench and dry out.

_I know Shadow will be here soon. But I don't want him anywhere near me. Times like this, I just want to be left alone, by myself, instead of poked and prodded at. Whatever's happening to me...I want to deal with it on my own. I am sick of him trying to get involved. I can take care of myself._

But a part of me heavily questioned these claims in my head as I took an arm and violently smeared the tears off my face with the back of my arm.

Suddenly, it sounded like a wind was passing over the Egg Carrier. It emitted a haunting moan, and I froze in place, or held as still as I possibly could, and listened intently.

_The heck was that all about...? I know for a fact that there's no air in space. Winds like that can only happen if you're inside some sort of atmosphere...right?_

Then the bolted lights hanging over me went black.

My eyes widened as I slowly looked up, gaping at the ceiling with uneasiness.

The power had gone out.

Spectacular.

Now, the only source of light was coming from the lamp, which ran on battery power rather than an electrical cord, so fortunately I was able to walk freely with it in hand. It left the room bathed in a dim, yellow luminescence, and the shadows shifting along with my movement. I took a step back, holding it to my chest protectively, and my muscles contracting all the while.

And then there was a pounding at the door.

I froze for the second time, pulling the lamp back and propping it on my shoulder.

If I needed to, I wouldn't hold back. I would swing. In fact, a part of me wanted to literally assault something or someone. I felt the need to be dangerous. I needed to use this energy out. My normal consciousness would've questioned it, but I was too blinded by adrenaline to care.

"Rachel! Rachel, are you there? Can you hear me?"

I winced.

"...Get out of here..." I hissed back at the unseen Shadow the Hedgehog's voice.

There was a muffled groan of agitation, mixed in with what sounded like a small bit of relief that came from the other side of the door. I figured he was glad I was able to answer back to him, but then again not so happy to now have to deal with me and my persistence.

"Okay, drop your attitude," he said, sounding more like the regular Shadow now. "And brace yourself because I'm coming in."

I lifted an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah? Good luck. You'll regret it," I said quietly, staining all my words with poison. "You'll really, really regret it. I can promise you that."

There was a pause.

"Okay. Challenge accepted," he said.

The light of Chaos Control formed in the middle of the room. I instantly hopped backwards, repositioning my hands around the lamp and masking my watering gaze with determination. My nose pointed down and my eyes fixated on the form of the hedgehog that appeared in the energy's wake. Once the light disintegrated, the room became darkened again.

And there he was. The bane of my nightmares. The insolent, aggressive, spontaneously romantic monster that had the audacity to show his face around me again after what he did. My anger heightened to the point that I expected to explode.

Shadow stopped, and before saying anything, noted the lamp placed in my shuddering grasp. He shot me a vilified glare.

"Come on. Is that really necessary?"

I rang my hands around it again.

"Why don't you take another step towards me and find out? I _dare_ you," I instigated, feeling my heart pump harder and harder.

Then, he did the inevitable. He laughed at me tauntingly.

"Honestly, are you sure this is the right time to pick a fight? I came back here because rumor had it you were in a seriously questionable condition. Bad move on your part, to have me return and see that you're still as feisty as ever.

You don't want to mess with me right now, little girl. My patience has met its end."

My eye twitched.

_...Little girl?_

_Your__ patience has met its end...?_

Before I could stop myself, I took a heavy swing at him with the butt of the lamp.

He barely managed to dodge it, his smirk transcending into an open gasp as he sidestepped far enough so that he was no longer in hitting range. The lamp swayed through the empty air and flew back, sauntering along my other shoulder.

Shadow's brow dropped.

"What the-Have you lost your mind!" he demanded, seeming surprised that I actually had the courage to try and land a hit on the Ultimate Life form. "Like you haven't already done your number on me! But now you're just asking for it."

I myself was a little semi-shocked, but my bravery quickly overrode it.

His look of sheer amazement quickly morphed into a threatening, tempted glare.

"You really want to get into this?"

I pulled the lamp back again.

"If I haven't said it already, I'll say it again. I'm _not_ afraid of you.

You may do some weird things that catch me off guard, but just as you punish me for my actions, I am now punishing you for yours."

I tightened my grip.

"So get ready for a rude awakening."

An uncharted glint formed in Shadow's eyes. He seemed suspicious, but overall more than willing to fight me.

"Fine, as you wish. Bring it on, sweetheart."

* * *

><p><strong>(AN) Christ almighty, writer's block has never been so unkind to me. I know how negligent I've been to the fans of this story, leaving it at the turning point of the last chapter and then waiting over four months to update. People have messaged me, asking if I've given up on this fanfiction altogether, and that's when I knew it was time to get a move on. It is now 4:51 AM on a Saturday. I'm home alone and stayed awake past the hours that my dad goes to work, so I'm fully awake (or at least nodding off) and experiencing the creepy and hauntingly dark monstrosity that is my house before dawn. Dedication level is rising, I tell you. RISING.**

**So The chapter overall is a bit rushed I'll admit, but I'm pleased with the way it turned out. And I hope you are too. So please review if you have time.**

**Oh and thank you all for giving me over 200 reviews. Really, it's a fantastic feeling knowing that my first story is doing this well and it's not even finished. There's more to come, so stay tuned and I'll try to hurry it along next time.**

**Your irresponsibly annoying author, AWOL-iNSANiTY**


	25. It's All In Your Head

**Travis's pov:**

Not even half a second after the phone rang, my father and mother's hammering footsteps came treading through the entrance of the living room. The television remote slipped through my fingers as I turned in direction of the blinking, chiming gadget, while Emma looked up from her crayons on the coffee table. Her eyes were drooped and slightly dazed as she slowly tightened her index finger around a lavender tinted wax.

"I got it, I got it!" my dad declared hastily, prying the phone off the receiver, cutting it short of another ring and pressed it against his reddened ear. My mother cooed to herself quietly and leaned against his shoulder, moving closer so she could catch a listen as well. Her navy eyes closed while inhaling a bumpy breath.

"Please be good news...Oh please be something that's good news..." Mom whispered to herself, right as Dad greeted the person whom had called as a fresh sheen started dribbling down his features.

The voice on the other end came out in a gurgled murmur through the speaker that distance seemed to magnify. It sounded male, and a little rugged and compressed. The only people who could understand it were my parents, while Emma and I watched them carefully and waited for their expressions to shift into something of either utter joy or total despair.

Just like us, they were waiting to hear that new information on Rachel's whereabouts had been uncovered. Somewhere in the mixture of emotions, a churning spark of hope for her return still spun rapidly. We hadn't given up. Not yet. Not on our lives.

After a while, Mom and Dad's eagerness began to physically deplete. The brightness in their eyes dimmed away, and worry lines carved back onto their faces. Me and Emma exchanged a worn glance and turned back to our activities, overhearing a few sure's and okay's from their direction without a second wandering thought.

Then Dad called me.

"Hey, Travis," he said calmly.

I flickered my eyes from the monotone pixels on the television screen and faced my father curiously. He was wavering the phone in my direction.

"It's your grandfather. You know, Grandpa Abraham?" he said, as if expecting me to have forgotten him. "He wants to speak with you."

Emma quickly whisked her head around to peer at the three of us, silently assuming that there was something I knew that she didn't, and now my grandfather wanted to discuss the topic without including her. But when she saw that my parents were equally weary, and both slightly uncaring of the scenario altogether, her eyebrows dropped and she went back to working at her drawing again. It was a scrabbly picture of Saturn in outer space. The stars were substituted with purple flowers, and the absent darkness of space itself had been replaced by a rich shade of magenta.

Despite my confusion, I calmly accepted the phone from my father and held it up to my own eardrum, a little cautious of the voice I would hear on the other end of the line. I knew it was my grandpa, but I didn't know what exactly to expect from him, or how much delirium I needed prepare for. It'd been forever since we'd spoken.

So when I heard how completely at ease he was, my muscles strangely tensed up.

"Travis," he said quickly, not allowing me time to even fit in a hello. His voice, while not completely over the top with happiness, was bathed in an unusual warmth and cheeriness, like warm cinnamon.

"Say, how're you doing sport-o?"

For a second I was flat out stunned. My mind blanked out while my lips hung apart. I could feel my parents watching me from behind.

"I-I'm doing... just fine?" I said as my forehead creased.

There was an airy chuckle on the other end. "Well good," grandpa replied. "I'm glad to hear. Anyways, I'm sorry if I've disturbed you. I just wanted to ask you a question if you don't mind."

"Oh yeah? What's that?" I asked a little less than interested. I also couldn't help but be slightly put off by his bubbly upfront.

He cleared his throat before continuing. "I was just wondering, how would you and Emma like to spend the upcoming weekend at my house with me?"

And then an uncomfortable pause.

"Uhh...is there a reason why you would want us to?" was the only thing I could come up with.

Another laugh.

"Ah, I understand how out-of-the-blue it is. But it's only because I don't believe we've spent much time together, besides, well..." he cleared his throat for the second time, "We've only been together during all these bad times. You know, during the countless problems that we grown-ups are dealing with."

I couldn't control my hostility. Through the sweet, candy-coatedness, I knew exactly what he was referring to.

"How are they the grown-up's problems, Grandpa, if my sister is involved, if not_ root_ of it all, and she's only sixteen? Because last time I checked, sixteen is definitely _not_ a grown-up."

"Travis," my mom whispered, ending in a small, barely there whimper. She was still heavily emotional when anything associating with Rachel was mentioned.

"Please...just behave."

"Behave?" I retorted almost instantly. "_Behave_? I'm only saying what's _true_!"

Emma lifted her eyes again, her crayon freezing halfway across Saturn's ring. She twitched her blonde eyelashes in bewilderment.

"No, you're misunderstanding. Calm down, son," my grandpa coaxed over the phone.

But I was too far along on my rampage, too irate to slow the pace of my fury that I was practically deaf to any sort of pleading that came my way.

"No! Why should I! How is any of this _your_ problem? It's my sister's problem. Not yours, not mine, not anyone's, but _her_ problem! If there's any problem happening here with us, it's that you're not trying harder to find her and instead want to call me to have a dumb little chat!"

"_Travis_."

It was only my name, but the way my father said it came out like a scolding. My fingers tightened around the cool metal of the phone, and I took a deep breath, suddenly realizing how angry I'd become.

"See," my grandfather said. "This is why I think you should spend a weekend with me. Since you seem to think that this is being done out of laziness or selfishness, I get the feeling you don't even remember me all that well. We haven't done something like this in months anyways, right? Hung out together, just us three? Besides it's only for Saturday and Sunday. I know you kids have school now during the week, and the last thing I want is to come in the way of your studies."

I shook my head to myself. "Ah, so that means you've given up, right? You're not looking for her anymore, and that's why you're inviting us over."

His warm tone chilled. "Of _course_ I haven't given up. You know I would never do that. Even if it took...if it took the rest of my life, I would never call off the search. My duty as Commander of G.U.N., and more importantly as a grandfather, is to bring your sister home no matter what it takes. You know that, Travis. You do."

He softened again.

"And as strange as it may sound, this is why I want to spend a weekend with you two. Despite everything...and everyone who's focused on bringing Rachel home, I haven't forgotten the rest of my family. I still love you both and want to spend time with you while I still can. Just in case something happens and I can't be around you anymore, I want to cherish every day I have with you both. You're the only grandchildren I have in the world, and until the third is back in our arms, we should hold onto our relations tighter than we ever have before."

I could hear the ache in his voice. He had my heart in the palm of his hand.

"O-Okay..." I said before he could go on. My brain had turned to dough, and I couldn't even remember what I was mad about.

"I understand. I get it. If Mom and Dad say it's okay, then we'll go."

My eyes darted down to meet those of my twin's, and I gave a simple nod.

"Emma, you need to go pack an overnight bag. We're spending the weekend at Grandpa's. Okay?"

She smiled back, tossing her crayons to the side and beaming like a shiny new penny.

"Okay."

I turned sideways, only to be met by my parents' clownish grins. My gaze became a pair of slits. They seemed so happy...so disgustingly _proud_ of this. I didn't get it at all. Maybe everyone was right, and I was too young to understand some things.

My grandpa never said another word, but I knew he was smiling too. Maybe that's why he'd gone silent.

And for the first time in months, I decided to loosen up a little, drop my defenses and soften like the crusted remains of a certain creamy blue frosting.

I closed my eyes...and forced a little smile.

**Rachel's pov:**

My heart was pumping quicker than the little trinket thoughts in my head could process. I raised the lamp and took another swing at Shadow, a snarl burning its way out my throat. He jumped back in time so that the end of the lamp barely managed to brush by his chin. Knowing that I was unsuccessful yet again made my blood boil a million degrees hotter, and my animalistic growls turned into shrieks of rage.

Shadow looked a little disoriented, but that didn't stop him from continuing to provoke me.

"What's the matter?" he asked, dodging another slanted blow as I watched him carefully, with a strand of hair messily concealing my right eye.

"You can't even hit what's right in front of you?"

Instead of swinging this time, my glare turned hard as steel, with frustration nearly oozing out through my pores. Just as Shadow finished his sentence, I turned and landed a kick right in his stomach, a little ways away from where he'd been wounded not too long ago. His red eyes turned dull as he went stumbling towards the corner of the room, deeply exhaling.

To my annoyance he recovered almost instantly, which I was stupid not to have expected in the first place. The hedgehog gave no indication of having been attacked as he rocked his head to the side and looked up.

But lucky for him, his defenses kicked in right in the nick of time. Both black and crimson streaked arms leapt up to grab the lamp right as I prepared to slam it down and bludgeon him on top of the head. His fingers wound around an area that was directly beneath my own. Our wrists barely came into prickling contact. I struggled to press the light further into his face, almost attempting to smother him with the hot circuit.

Both our arms were shaking as our strength canceled out and kept the lamp stuck in a quivering balance between us. The bright lighting danced off Shadow's features, highlighting certain parts of his face that made the contrasting values deepen into a terrifying scowl.

"I never thought I'd have this kind of trouble fighting you off," he admitted slyly, some minor mockery coursing through his voice. He managed to push the lamp a little bit closer to me. My eyes squinted tighter and I tried to revert it back, but once again it wouldn't budge.

"You still won't win," he continued, laughing under his breath. "You're no match for me! Never have been and never will!"

I myself almost chuckled out loud. Whether that statement was meant to have a double meaning or not, I found myself bouncing brows at the irony.

Shadow finally released his grip and let me keep the lamp. Perhaps it was done out of pity. Perhaps it was because he wanted to continue fighting and knew that while _he_ had the power of Chaos harnessed inside his framework, all I had some pathetic little lamp. Either way, I didn't complain. I selfishly pulled it back just as he moved away. A trickle of sweat laced down the side of my face as I dipped my chin down, locking wild eyes with his, and readied myself like a bull that skids its back legs across dirt right before a dash.

In my heart, something about the way my organs were deteriorating with these unknown fires, and the way my mind was moving at a superhuman rate, instinctively told me that all this power was giving me my last buzz of energy. After that, I could fizzle out and possibly die from the overworking energy.

I knew it wasn't impossible, because there was no way this was natural. I was so nauseated and dizzy, with pain splitting through every limb. But I couldn't sit still and allow these rocketing molecules to settle. They willed me to move, despite that I felt like I could drop dead to the cold floor at any second. And for some reason, I was too blindsided by the rage and anger to be bothered. In fact, the only thing it did was motivate me more to kill Shadow the Hedgehog once and for all, finishing what my grandfather started and should've been finished generations ago. And maybe then I would finally feel a sense of accomplishment.

Shadow froze where he was, staring at me intently and awaiting my next move. His determined gaze, combined with his totally still body threw me off all at once. But I knew better than to not take advantage of the moment.

"No match, huh? You really think so!" I yelled, hoisting the lamp back behind me as my hair bristled past my ears and filtered the sound waves. I swung it forward with full force.

But instead of the object coming into contact with his face, he raised one hand and caught the lamp with an open palm, pushing it to the side.

"Yes, I do."

My fury grew thick and hot. I chewed the inside of my lip to keep the desire of exploding and going on a murderous rampage at bay. Eventually I sank my teeth down so hard that I could taste coppery blood, and felt the substance beading underneath my tongue.

He suddenly became more savage and tore the lamp across from him, sending it colliding into the wall, and since I had it in a death grip, I was helplessly yanked along with it. The light bulb cracked open upon impact with the surface, with triangular glass shards flying past my hand, and for a moment the light glowed more intensely from the exposed wire. But then it hissed and went black. We were left in almost complete darkness.

I could still make out the jagged lines of Shadow's form. He was switching between looking at me, the lamp, and then back towards me. And then he shook his head slowly and sighed through his nose.

Even though time had seemingly paused, I still yearned to destroy the sorry excuse for an Ultimate Life Form as he stood there radiating his disappointment. I found myself pulling away from him, bringing the lamp with me and jutting it out like a knife, using the leftover shards of glass that still clung to the outlet as my weapon.

Shadow jumped away with a huff of dissaproval.

"I should've known."

I still held the lamp up as I glared at him curiously.

"Should've known _what_?" I demanded.

"That Eggman would be wrong about what he said earlier."

I didn't move an inch. There were practically visible question marks dancing around me. Shadow noted my confusion, but seemed intent on not giving me any valid answers.

"I see now that you're fine. There's nothing actually wrong with you. You're just having another episode of yours, but that's gone on too long for it to be considered unordinary. I had no reason to come back here and expect you to be dying. Eggman's whole theory about what happened because of the kiss was entirely _wrong_."

My eyebrows slowly rose at his mentioning of it.

"You know as well as I do that there's no point in fighting me like this," he concluded, his voice soft but eyes still fierce. "If you're going to turn nothing into something then go ahead, create as many issues for yourself as you please. Even though a fight would be interesting, again, there's absolutely no point. What we've done so far is enough. I know you're tired, and if you keep going you'll only end up getting yourself hurt."

My lip quivered for a moment, and I was hoping to God he wasn't programmed to see in the dark so he could witness how shamefully mad I was. Oddly enough, I couldn't help but agree with him. This _was_ pointless, and I myself never desired a fight to begin with. This seemed like the perfect time to take a deep breath and calm down. Even I knew that I was taking this and turning it into something way over the top.

But I couldn't stop or slow down now. I simply couldn't. I still felt the need to move, to attack, to _kill_. And before I could stop myself, I started to drive the remains of the lamp back towards him as my teeth clenched together, aiming directly for his face.

For a second he didn't move, and just watched me with a disturbingly casual gaze. I thought I was about to actually land a hit, which caused me hold back a little.

_I finally have the chance to hurt him...but I know this isn't really what I wanted at all._

I staggered. _Well no, of course it isn't! I mean maybe I thought that's how it was. Somewhere in the back of my mind I've only ever dreamed of smashing his face in. But I don't think I ever could. I never would..._

_I hit my breaking point a long time ago. So that's not what's happening now. My body wants me to do this, not me. Not my head or my heart. Inside I know that I wanted to distance myself from him. God knows how badly I wanted to keep away, not get **closer.** Something's wrong. Something has to be._

_I don't even know how I'm supposed to end this._

Shadow must've been under the impression I was going to go through with attacking him, because next thing I knew he had a hold of _me_ this time, instead of the lamp. He squeezed my forearm, sending endless beams of static shooting through me from the spot. I dropped the lamp, my thoughts coming to a screeching halt, and gasped in obvious discomfort.

"You're being incredibly stupid, Rachel. You know that?"

My lip trembled again, my eyelids sticking together from the lasting residue of the tears as I watched him carefully. Every indention and crevice in his scarlet hued eyes turned its focus onto me.

"You wouldn't really kill me, would you?" he asked with a small prick of empathy.

His question caught me off guard, and of course, even though I'd already thought this over myself, I was hesitant to give a straight answer out loud. How was I supposed to tell him what I was feeling? No matter what I said, he would find a way to twist my words, misinterpret them, or somehow use them against me.

But I didn't have to answer. Because another straying voice from the intercom system outside in the hall interrupted us.

**"Hello? Is this thing on? Shadow the Hedgehog! Hello! Where in blazes did you go!"**

It was Eggman's voice. Shadow released me and we both looked towards the closed door.

**"Alright! I'm not entirely sure where you are or what's going on! I understand that you're worried about Tower and decided to pay yourself a badly timed visit, but we have no time for that now! I'll have the medical robots give her a check-up if it puts your mind to rest. As for you, you need to get back here this instant!"**

He took a pause as if expecting an answer, and then breathed out, his voice soaked in agitation.

**"We've currently entered the Storm Galaxy and are preparing to land on that unnamed planet. Gravity fields are strong, so we're practically being reeled in like helpless fish. I need you to be ready! Do you understand?"**

My hardened gaze instantly became vacant with wonder.

_Since when were we coming close to landing on another planet? I didn't even know we were inside a whole different galaxy. You can never tell from inside here._

_And what does he mean unnamed?_

_Oh well. They need Shadow to find the last Chaos Emeralds. That means he'll leave, and that's good enough for me._

My eyes widened.

_Hold on...wait a second! If that's the case...then what the hell? Why did Shadow even come here in the first place! Worried about me? What for? And why would I need medical attention?_

_Decoe and Bocoe must've told him and Eggman that I'd gone completely insane. Maybe that's why and I can actually wrap my head around that. But do they really think what I'm experiencing could be so bad that I needed actual help? Specifically, help from Shadow?_

Before I could ask him this, or even mumble another sound for that matter, the strangest sensation latched itself onto the center of my chest, and my breathing hitched.

It was entirely foreign. It wasn't a burn, or a sting, or an ache of any sort. It was like a...tangled...electrified...itch. Almost like a bulging jumble of matter that seemed to be bubbling in place. I stopped all at once, still shaking like a lunatic intoxicated on caffeine, and looked down, tracing the tips of my fingers over the affected area.

But the moment I touched my skin, it burst inside me.

"Hyaaaah!" I squealed at the top of my lungs, arching forward as both my arms snaked around my torso in a protective front hug. It didn't even take Shadow a mere instant to fling around.

"And what seems to be the problem now?" he asked.

The floor began humming under our feet. The walls echoed off the sounds of battering winds that were brewing outside. My stomach flipped and felt weightless for a moment. It only stretched my fear and uncertainty out to its full length, since I wasn't entirely sure what was going on inside my own body, let alone outside the Carrier. I choked out a whimper, closing my eyes and trying to will away the discomfort.

When they re-opened, I heard the clop of metal shoes and knew that Shadow was beginning to step towards me. He didn't seem fazed by the noise that was surrounding us, and strangely enough appeared, more or less, confused about me.

"Hey. Why don't you stop messing around and answer me for once?" he demanded.

My mouth parted to speak.

_I don't know where to start..._I wanted to say.._.I don't know what's happening, but it's weird. Honestly, I'm a little bit scared._

Another cluster formed. This time somewhere in my rib cage.

_No, I changed my mind. I'm freaking terrified_.

"Agh, n-no...!" I yelped through my locked jaw, almost grabbing the area, but then I remembered what had happened previously from my touch. My hand just hovered over it and buckled in place. "No...no no no no!"

Shadow grabbed my shoulder. "You know I can't do anything if you don't tell me what's wro-"

The cluster popped.

I screamed again, ripping away from him and grabbing a hold of my mid-section as little sparks of energy strayed through me, right from where the small bundle had appeared.

_It's all in your head!_ My mind screamed at me. _It's all in your head, Rachel! Don't let it tell you what to feel or think. Don't let it convince you that you're in pain. You're letting it win. You're letting your nerves take over! Stop it! STOP!_

**"SHADOW! GET HERE THIS INSTANT!" **Eggman yelled again from the crackled static of the speakers.**"THAT'S AN ORDER!"**

The entire ship lunged downward, and for a second we were free-falling. I collapsed to the floor and landed on my knees, holding my weight up with shivering arms.

And then tons of little bundles formed inside me all at once.

"...Shadow! G...Get out of here! Please go!" I hissed in agony, the force of my muscles crumbling and growing weary of when these jumbles would decide to explode.

Shadow cast an eye in the direction of the door before turning back and kneeling in front of me.

"Can't you just tell me what's happening to you?"

I gritted my teeth. The clusters prickled and then burst, all at differing times. I jolted with every single one.

"Inside me..." my eyes watered, "It's inside me...I swear...Little...bits...of something...I have...no idea what..."

Shadow extended a hand towards me, but I instantly swatted it away.

"I told you to go!" I yelled.

I didn't want to be alone if I knew, or felt at least, that I was close to passing out or even dying. But I'd choose dying alone in the dark of this room rather than have Shadow here asking endless queries. He's the last person who could help me in this scenario, and I felt I knew that for a fact.

"Get out! I don't even want you in here with me!"

**"SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG!"**

"The energy..." Shadow breathed, watching me carefully. "_Chaos energy_."

His metal shoes clapped against the floor once again with his steps. "It's inside of you…isn't it. Eggman wasn't wrong after all…"

I looked up, knowing my expression was no longer wishing to murder and instead switched to one that pleaded for help.

"What do you mean..._energy_..." I sighed out. The pain had become so overwhelming, it had me expecting to regurgitate acid.

And then I felt two hands grab both sides of my face. I groaned quietly.

In an instant, Shadow shushed me. "Listen to me. Everything will be okay if you just cooperate for once."

Before I was given a chance to respond, his thumb traced my jawline, and I winced under the electricity.

By now, my head pounded with a ricocheting ache. My stomach twisted and curdled from the inside out. More clumps formed and burst all along the interior of my body. I was feeling faint. Everything started to get darker than black.

"_No!" _Shadow yelled. "Don't you dare fall asleep now. I want to help you, and I can't unless you stay awake. Will you do that for me?"

My eyes fluttered.

**_"SHADOW!" _**Eggman shouted. The Carrier dropped for a few more seconds. A siren sounded outside. An alarm.

"_Will you_?" he repeated more urgently.

I started to grow weak. The power from before had practically ebbed into nothing, and I was left as limp as a napkin in the wind. The only thing holding me up was Shadow, his thumb now dragging down the side of my neck, past my pulse and over my collar bone. His face grew blurrier and blurrier, and I became suffocated with exhaustion.

"Since when do you care about me..." I whispered, some of my words dropping in and out of existence. I was losing the ability to speak, to see, to hear...

to breathe.

Shadow jerked me a little to wake me up. "Since the day I met you, Rachel. Isn't it painfully obvious?"

And that seemed to seep some adrenaline into me. Remembering when I met Shadow.

The alarm outside rang in correspondence with the throbbing clusters. Shadow didn't make it quite clear if he heard it too or not.

Then it went silent. All was blank for a good ten seconds.

Eggman spoke again.

**"...Shadow? I think you might want to get up here now. We have company."**

Again, I wasn't sure about Shadow, but I listened closer.

_Company..._

Eggman started to giggle. But it wasn't a happy kind of laugh. It was nervous, baffled, and incredibly disbelieving.

**"Aaahahaha, and get this, it gets even better! The company comes in the form of our favorite blue headache,"** he chortled, ending the last words in a sing-songish voice. **"Oh, and looks as though he's brought some friends along as well!"**

Shadow spun around on cue.

It then sounded like the microphone was being fumbled with and bumped around. Eggman must've not realized it was still on, because as he put it away he muttered something that was barely comprehensible between the frightened giggles, but made everything ten times more real.

**"Oho, this is gonna be a blood bath."**

**x**

**x**

**x**

**x**

**x**

**(A/N) Hi...my lovely sparkle muffin babies. Yeah well uh, yeah. It's 8 AM :)...I haven't slept :). I stayed up all night :) I tried to sleep around 5 but couldn't so I decided to finish this chapter :)**

**:)**

**:)**

**:)**

**-_- shoot me.**

**Ya know with me, I write in bits and pieces and only get fragments down at a time. And that's usually why it's slower for me to update than it should be. But here, I wrote the last half of the chapter in under an hour, and revised and edited three times. I'm so tired, I can barely keep my eyes open. The birds and cicadas are singing outside. Glad to know they're well-do, because I am about to fall over. In fact, they're probably face-palming at the only female awake in the household, because she's griping about something that she chose to do on her own will.**

**Now I look back at my chapters where they're like "Oh yeah I stayed up til 11 PM doing this because I think I'm cool and I love you guys. Yeah, 11 PM. Totally hard in the paint."**

**Hah...HAHAHAHA..ha.**

**No.**

**I wonder if all the cool authors know what this level of sleep deprivation is like -.- I guess this means I just became a member of the cool author club. Eh f*** I don't even know what I'm talking about. Who am I...what am I...life...what is it. I don't know.**

**I'm gonna sleep and then wake up and see if this needs editing. This chapter is short for my standards, but we're still nearing the end. Anyways if you read it once, throw up your hot pocket, then come back to read and the fanfiction opera is singing, it's probably because I got some Z's in and maybe a cup of caffeine, and edited a buttload of stuff.**

**So I'm gonna leave now. Review. PM. Love me. Ya.**

**Bye~**

**(Edit):**

**Good lord. Well I kept my promise and came back to edit. Slight changes here and there, but nothing significant. I'm sorry about my loony talk up there ^ And no, I wasn't faking or over-exaggerating. That was me...straight up waffling after working on 0 hours of sleep. And yes, I am one of those people who NEEDS sleep. I wondered if I should delete the A/N above, or edit it to make me sound more...er...professional? But actually I realize it's a little look at how I get at times.**

**So far I've gotten...*counts reviews pretentiously*...8 reviews after the chapter has been up for only a few hours. That's a lot more than usual. If I could kiss each and every one of you I would.**

**Because I wish we could all get along like we used to in middle school... I wish I could bake a cake filled with rainbows and smiles and everyone would eat and be happy. ;-;**

**Heh, sorry. Long author's note is long. You can get back to your lives now.**

**Buh bye for the second time :)**


	26. Permafrost, The Escape Part 1

**(Sonic's POV)**

Everything changed in a matter of minutes.

We'd come to terms with countless strange things during our voyage through the universe. But we never imagined something unusual could sprout so rapidly.

The air had turned into a sharp, bitter cold. We all listened in unison as the metal shafts shelling the X Tornado's walls cracked against the dropping temperature outside. The windows fogged over, leaving a clouded sheen running up the glass in a reverse waterfall fashion. My body stiffened as the chill seeped past my fur and left shriveled bites. Everything beyond the windows was growing lighter, and we could see the white glow of a planet residing directly beneath us, accompanied by litters of stars.

The windows at the front of the cockpit showed the Egg Carrier, in all its familiarity (despite having a new paint job) dead ahead and growing in size as we gained speed and decreased our remaining distance.

"This is it, guys! We're closing in on them!" Tails declared triumphantly, his tails leaving twitches behind him in reaction to the new, nearly freezing atmosphere. "Our presence might have already triggered Eggman's alarm system, but after a quick dive under the Egg Carrier, the X Tornado will be beyond the range of any missiles or lasers."

Amy, who sat across from me, quickly leapt out of her seat and pressed her forehead against the window next to her. She ignored the brightening view, and only settled her slanted focus on the airship with grinning structures that rested in front of us.

"Oh wow, we finally made it! This is so _perfect!_ Not to mention we're heading towards the bottom, and the base of the Egg Carrier is where prisoners are kept!"

"Really? And you know that for sure, Amy?" Tails cautiously asked without turning attention away from his concentrated button mashing.

Amy yanked her head back and frowned. "Uh, hello? Don't you remember when that robot creep kidnapped me years ago and brought me there? I was put in a cell down at the bottom of the aircraft! It's not like I'm making it up or anything, I swear!"

Tails only groaned at her overreaction. "I don't think you're lying, Amy, but don't forget we have to be extremely organized about this, and that means having our facts straight. One wrong move and it's all over."

I pulled away from my own seat and leaned towards the cockpit where Tails was steering, my features lifting with anticipation. "But you can't just land at the bottom. How are we supposed to dock?" I asked.

Tails' glare hardened to a degree so intense that it actually had me reeling back. I never imagined the younger fox had it in him to intimidate anyone. It was clear he was serious about this mission, as we all were.

"Once I move to the bottom, one of you will need to get off and find Rachel. If she's locked in a cell, find ways to get to her, whether it's by bending bars apart or searching for a key. Then, someone else has to break into Eggman's main control room and disable the missiles so I can station myself properly. I'll wait here and defend the X Tornado from damage, and maybe test out the new built in cannons on Eggman's robots if they decide to attack in their usual masses. But my ammunition is limited, so this has to be done in record time. Go in there, get Rachel, ignore anything and everything else, and make sure she's brought back here safely. The sooner we leave, the better."

Remembering the reasons behind this mission brought a smile to my exhaust-ridden face. "Sweet job on the blueprints there, pal. The chances of this plan not working are definitely slim to none."

"But what if we fall into that slim percentage? It might not work as perfectly as we hope, you know," Amy stated worriedly. "What if something goes horribly wrong and we can't carry everything out completely? Getting stranded here is definitely not an option!"

Tails' fingers tightened around the controls. "If it comes to that, then I'll run the X Tornado straight through Eggman's main room and take control of the Carrier  
>myself. We're not returning to Earth without Rachel Tower and that's that."<p>

We all gawked at him. He was resorting to extreme measures, but it was obvious that it was the best Plan B any of us could come up with.

Amy crossed her arms and wailed out angrily. "So what, you expect to tear through that steel metal up ahead like it's made of pancake?"

Clearly, Tails would have made arrangements to do said tearing through a glass window, but this went straight over the bubble-gum quilled hedgehog's head. None of us stopped to correct her. Not even Knuckles, who instead clenched his fists together.

"Nah. I'll be saving that move personally for Eggman."

After that was said, I couldn't help but move forward a little to his side. For once, I wasn't here teasing or harassing him. We weren't bickering over trivial things. Usually I found angering Knuckles to be hilarious, but now he had my full support. We both meant business. We were intending to unleash the same things, but on separate people. For him it was Eggman. As for me...

"Couldn't have said it better myself," I said slyly. "Him and Shadow are both the pancakes.

And trust me. When I find that faker, he'll get what's coming to him."

**(Rachel's POV)**

Before I had a chance to fall any deeper into Shadow's rough and rugged embrace, he grabbed me by the shoulders and forced me to balance  
>myself as I fought off the rest of the dying tremors.<p>

By now, it was impossible to comprehend anything. The fuses of my memory had shorted out.

I could hear the alarms screaming beyond the door, but I forgot what their purpose was meant to be, or what danger they were built to signify.

I could see Shadow's angered face, but couldn't remember what it was that engraved the infamous scowl this time around.

I heard Eggman say something earlier about blue headaches, but all that came up in my mind was the image of an azure tinted forehead. How could anyone have a colored headache?

There was something I was missing, but every puzzle piece I tried to put together just wasn't made to fit.

I was deteriorating...and I had no idea how to stop it.

_God help me._

_Or not God, but please, anyone but Shadow._

"Look, I understand that you're in pain," Shadow said quickly, pulling me towards the door. "I know you're weakened, exhausted, and to top it off you  
>more or less hate me right now. But I'm the only one that can help you at this point, and you need to accept that help one way or the other."<p>

I knew in my heart that he was trying to aid me, but my expression seemed to address that it was all just going through my head like vapor, because next  
>thing I knew Shadow was swearing to himself and yanking me impatiently out the door, having lost all empathy.<p>

The door slid open, and once I could see the long corridor and rows of dead lights laid out in front of me, I pulled my arm away.

I tried to retort in any way I could, but realized my vocal chords had seemingly shut themselves down. They felt tangled, knotted together, leaving my voice to come out as nothing more than a strained choke. It made me feel faint, and it left my hope ebbing. I found myself collapsing down to my knees.

This time, instead of grabbing me and hauling me forward like a sack of garbage, Shadow noticed I'd fallen and quickly but gingerly slipped his hand into mine, giving it a light squeeze. The small notion sent invisible electrons slipping down my palm and dashing on throughout my pulse. It stunned me enough to jolt my entire body. I sealed my eyes shut.

He squeezed again to get my attention, as if trying to jumpstart me like a broken down car.

"Don't do this. You have to get up, Rachel. Get up and run," he said, not forcefully but in a way that still displayed determination. "I'll show you which ways to go, but you have to at least stand first."

I wasn't sure what brought me to do it, whether it was my own willingness to suddenly try anything or the rushed pacing in his voice, but next thing  
>I knew I was slowly rising from my crumbled position, my legs and arms wobbling to maintain composure.<p>

Shadow tugged me a little. "That's it. Now come on! Just a little more..."

His voice managed to lighten. "Come on. Run with me, Rachel. You have to try harder. _Please._"

Hearing Shadow plead anything was enough to get me going. I started to move a little. One step at a time, making sure not to trip, with Shadow  
>guiding me like a toddler who was just beginning to learn. But when the pain inflamed again, I froze dead in my tracks. Shadow looked<br>back, clearly annoyed that I'd stopped when we'd just started making progress.

"I...I can't do it," I said diligently. The netting in my chords had somehow pieced apart and I was able to speak again.

"It'll kill me, Shadow."

And this, I was almost completely sure of. At least that's what instinct was telling me.

But Shadow wouldn't have it. He urged me on.

"It'll kill you if you don't move at all. Don't you understand?"

At this point, I had trouble believing a word he said. Overworking myself couldn't have been the antidote for this energy. Lying down, taking deep breaths, anything else was sensible. But this seemed like the worst possible therapy.

He saw my reluctance, and his eyelids caved down.

"I realize you think I'm in no position to rush you, but you're only wasting time! We have to go!"

Before I could do anything at all, he suddenly perked up. An idea had come to him.

"Fine. If you don't start moving…then I'll do it again."

My eyes wandered up to his. "Do _it?_ What's it. What are you talking about?"

I didn't notice at first that he was still pulling me along, and seeing how I was distracted, I stepped along with him through the stained prints of  
>darkness creeping along the walls.<p>

He was glaring back, but at the same time his voice held traces of playfulness. "Oh nothing. Just what I did earlier. You remember, right?"

At that moment, a piece of my memory surged through my already sore head, followed by the recollection of a certain somebody's heated prickles on my lips. I knew instantly what he was talking about. Instead of stopping right there and insulting at him like I normally would, I walked a bit faster, the rage and embarrassment pumping me with adrenaline.

"W-What! How could you even suggest that! You're bluffing! You can't be serious!"

The speakers above us suddenly crackled. A voice sifted past the pops and clicks until the frequency of Eggman's voice managed to filter through.

**"Shadow! Can you hear me! Come out come out wherever you are! I don't know if you've noticed, but this is quickly becoming a huge emergency. Why haven't you returned! Is there some part of 'this is an order' that you are unable to process! And don't forget, we still have Chaos Emeralds to catch! And that scavenging will not be so easily done now, seeing that we now have my enemy in tow!"**

Instead of aimlessly responding to Eggman's calls of desperation, he yanked me closer so the distance between our faces closed off. It was me that  
>slammed my foot down in time to stop myself from colliding against his mouth, which, given our angles, was exactly what would've happened had I<br>not done so.

Shadow smirked back at my widened eyes, his breath close enough to air across my lips.

"I dare you to test me."

And that said it all. I swallowed nervously and managed to slightly rip away,even though he still had his grip locked with mine, and the more I resisted, the tighter his hold became.

"But you'd make everything ten times worse that way! We'd be back to square one!" I shouted with a little newfound bravery.

He just made a hum of approval. "Ah, this is good. You're getting angrier. I knew the walking would work."

He pulled a little harder. "But like I just said, running would make a much better difference. And it's not like you have a choice anymore. What, would you like me to drag you, because that's where your stubbornness is heading! Or, referring to my previous threat-"

"Stop! Don't you say another word!" I yelled, suddenly sprinting past the power walking hedgehog. "Like hell that's happening again! You're trying to kill  
>me, aren't you!"<p>

"No," he stated immediately, running to catch up so that we were next to one another. "I'm trying to save you. And find a place to hide you before it's too late."

My anxiety swelled. "Hide me from _what!"_

"Don't pretend you didn't hear what Eggman said over the intercom!"

"Actually, I have no idea what he's going on about! Excuse me for being a bit busy writhing in agony to pay attention to that maniac!"

"The only one I see being a maniac is you!" Shadow shouted.

"And I have every right to be!" I shot back, absent-mindedly tightening my hand around his out of spite. "Have you forgotten that it was _you_ who got me into this mess!"

He seemed to note that my strength was returning, and went right ahead and continued doing what he was best at, which was push my anger into dangerous levels.

"That's where you're wrong. You have no one to blame but yourself, Rachel Tower! Every 'mess' that's ever happened to you only occurred from your own stupidity!"

His mockery went on, even though I was already hot with seething fury.

"What even goes on in that thick head of yours? Things like, oh I'm a female teenager, and I think it would be extremely intelligent to venture out into a city crawling with scum men who might try and harm me or worse, completely unattended as well, especially when I have this act for getting myself into trouble and then crying for help when I find the consequences unfavorable.

Or what about the logic behind seeing _me,_ your grandfather's self-claimed arch nemesis attacking people, and then drawing attention to yourself only to sell out your own identity! And you actually had the nerve to act baffled when I took advantage of it?

But you didn't stop there. No, idiocy never takes a rest. You thought, hey, why don't I make matters even worse for myself and fight with the kidnapping hedgehog every time the chance is open. Even though he saved me once, saved me twice, and then a third time where it actually ended with people's deaths and nearly his own.

And then you think, Well perhaps I've been unfair. Maybe pointlessly wiping some astringent on a wound that I practically caused will call for reconciliations and mean we're on better terms. And then a strange bat shows up to help you escape. Huh, well wasn't that convenient! And good ol' Rachel Tower's brain, when she realizes how foolish she was to think she could get away, she'll do what she's universally known for, and that's screaming and stomping her foot like a spoiled child because she didn't get what she wanted.

Isn't that the way of it, Rachel Tower? I'm right aren't I? _Aren't_ I!"

"KNOCK IT OFF!"

By then, I was panting and running so hard, Shadow was the one being dragged for a second. He quickly caught up before falling into a glide on some sort of skates built into his shoes.

He was taunting me. And he was doing a heck of a good job. It wasn't so much his words that hurt. It was the fact that he was deliberately trying to outrage me. Every word he said was just a reminder of how shallow he could be, and it stabbed harder than any petty insult ever could.

**(Sonic's POV)**

After the door had fallen open, the cold air sliced in before we had a chance to ready ourselves. There was no wind, but the chill was definitely present. It was so sudden, and even painful, we all gasped in unison. Amy started screaming and huddled into the corner of her seat, pulling her legs under her dress.

"It's freezing out here!" she shrieked.

Tails' hands started shaking as he did his best to run the X Tornado closer to some railings near the bottom of the Carrier. There was a narrow, patchy metal path with rusting bars. One side provided entry to an emergency exit door, the other ended with the metal having been broken and gnarled off, and it led into absolutely nothing.

"It's now or never!" Tails shouted over the whirring of the engines outside through chattering teeth. "That exit probably leads to the prison. Someone needs to go in there and search the cells for Rachel!"

"Me. I'll go," Knuckles volunteered, shuffling out of his seat. He stopped at the doorway and held both sides of it, looking down past his feet at the glowing planet underneath him. He then looked back up towards the emergency door on the Egg Carrier.

"But I don't think I can make the jump from here. You have to get closer," he instructed the piloting fox.

Tails growled. "Come on, just jump and glide over, Knuckles! We don't have much time!"

Knuckles was still for a moment, but then, his obedience shined through. He stepped back a little before leaping through the entry way and soaring out of the X Tornado. His arms were stiff and outstretched, and even from a distance I could see his figure becoming prematurely blurred from his shaking.

"You'll be the one to enter through the middle then, Sonic," Tails said. "Both of you better be careful. We can't stay here long. Our lives depend on it."

I only nodded, tossing him a thumbs up sign. "Sure thing, pal. And remember to take good care of my precious baby. Keep her nice and safe."

Amy, who was already turning purple from the cold, suddenly perked up and looked back at me with frosty, sparkling eyes. "Oh, Sonic! You're worried about my safety? So that means you really do care!"

I shifted my eyes at her in annoyance. "Uh, I was talking about the X Tornado."

Amy drew back in horror at my bluntness, before going on a fuming rampage.

I snickered. Well, it's a given that her anger would at least keep her warm.

**(Rachel's POV)**

"You know, you get on nerves I didn't even know I had," I said in a low, dark tone.

Shadow then turned away and laughed to himself.

For some reason, that sound alone made my temper flare right there on the spot. The spores that'd been boiling inside me before had stopped combusting, and instead were beginning to deflate like rubber balloons. I didn't even question it. As long as I wasn't imploding anymore, I was okay with it.

But every time one sank, it made my body steam into a more feverish heat that only multiplied my rage.

"_WHAT,_ Shadow!" I shouted. "You think this is funny, do you? What is it then! What is it about driving me totally insane that you find so chuckle-some!"

Shadow looked at me through the corner of his eye, increasing speed as his skates slid across the floor.

"Feeling better yet?"

I growled at him. "No, not really! You should stop playing all these mind games! And I wish you would tell me what's going o-"

**BOOM**

Shadow and I both swerved to an immediate stop. After hearing the loud noise, it was followed by nothing but drifting silence. The only sounds came from us, and it was our fluttered breathing.

Once I'd gotten over caring about whatever caused the loud crash we'd just heard, I realized I was still holding Shadow's hand and was finally able to pull away while his attention was drawn off.

He didn't seem to notice. He only looked at the openness behind him whilst breathing heavily, his body twisted and fists closed. I stumbled against a nearby wall and pressed the side of my head against it, my eyes falling shut and exhales becoming more and more tame.

I _did_ feel better. Not perfect, but certainly better. This frightening pain and nausea had diminished into a dull, fairly humane sickness. It was nothing I couldn't tolerate.

"_No._ It can't be...They can't be here already," Shadow said quietly.

My eyes opened incredibly slow-like after he said this. I was about to ask him what he was going on about, but then I noticed something.

There was a sound nearing us. Crumpled, disoriented, and snapping as it got louder, I instantly felt goosebumps rising up and down my legs. I stepped away from the wall, which had gotten so cold me face was stuck for a second, and ended up backing into Shadow. This time, we were both looking in the same direction; the direction the strange cracking sound was coming from.

The speakers rang out again, this time so amplified that it rattled my eardrums. After the screech died down, Eggman's nervous voice came through once more.

**"Oho, someone's breaking in I see! Well no matter, I found a way to activate the emergency power. Let there be light!"**

Instead of the regular white lights springing back into action, the halls submerged in a dim, scarlet tinted glow.

Dr. Eggman grumbled something to himself that came out inaudible.

**"Blasted security system,"** he continued. **"Its delays are unforgivable."**

**(Shadow's POV)**

The alarms suddenly got louder. The breaks between them had thinned so that it was almost continuous.

This sinister lighting was now burnishing the passageways, but it was better than no light at all. Now we could see ahead of us. It would make going along much easier, as opposed to running on into impending darkness.

Eggman was still spastic. The microphone got wrecked around some more. **"Woah!"** he shouted. **"What's happened with the alarms? How is that even possible! Is there a breach in the system?"**

The microphone kept getting tossed back and forth as Eggman could be heard cranking back levers and clicking furiously at a keyboard

**"Yes, you confounded excuse for a system, I'm fully aware that we have a break in! Now shut up so I can think straight!"** he hollered at the siren's wails.

I stepped backwards and sighed. Our pilot was losing what was left of his sanity. If he couldn't remain calm in the face of danger, then it only meant more havoc was yet to come.

_They've already made it in here...Sonic and his friends. They came for Rachel, no doubt. And as much as I hate to admit it, I can't take them all on at once if they're ambushing from different directions._

I gritted my teeth. _No. They're not going to do this. They can't have her. Plain and simple. I have to find a place to hide Rachel for the time being. And then I'll find a way to get rid of them once and for all._

"Rachel," I said tensely to grab her attention, turning to look back at her.

But she wasn't looking at me. Her eyes were zeroed in and traveling along the ceiling planes.

My gaze followed her focus...and my chest knotted.

Snaking past the flashing lights, were long, twining veins of ice. The crimson glows sparked through them and accentuated their frosted texture. They swept past the bulbs in an eerie crawl. And the closer they got, the more I realized how cold the air was getting.

Rachel sighed out awe-struck, and her breath pressed past her lips in a puff of fog.

My brows shot up. Oh _no._

"Shadow..." she drawled out, her words coming out in a mist. "This...this...what is-..."

"I wish I could explain," I said, cutting her short. "And I will later. But now, you have to do as I say. I can't leave you out here like this."

"But who's here..." she questioned. It sounded like her voice was crippling.

I reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her into another run. "Soon it'll be nobody."

I swept my head back to make sure she was putting at least minimal effort in, but her head was turned too. She was still watching those ice vessels.

I shot down the hall faster, as if to outrun the air. The cold was only now taking its nibble, but with a fragile little human like Rachel, it would bite the life right out of her if I didn't hurry.

From the looks of it, she had finally become compliant, because after that, nothing else was said.

**(Knuckles' POV)**

The nailed outlets that rimmed the walls barely let enough light in to slip through the cells. I could hardly see past the bars, just in case any of them were caging the human hostage we'd crossed galaxies to get to.

"Hello, is anyone in here?" I called out cautiously, panning my eyes back and forth to see if anything shifted through the areas where shadows managed to hit. But so far, the only movement I detected was the flecks of dust the gleamed past the light.

"You don't have to be afraid," I immediately followed, "I'm here to help you. If you can hear me, yell so I know you're here, and then I'll try to find you."

There was silence.

And just as I passed what I assumed was a vacant cell, two arms shot out and wound around my neck.

"W-WAH! Woah woah woah woah get OFF!" I gasped in a panic, flailing one arm while nabbing at the arms that had my neck in lock with the other.

The arms were constricting my throat from behind, but they weren't holding tight enough to choke me. Something told me these arms weren't human, so I assumed it was another prisoner that had heard me and was now looking for help.

But then, a sticky glossed lip brushed past the side of my head, and hushed a silver cloud into my ear.

"Aaaahhhhhhhh..." the female voice cooed tauntingly. "There. How's that for a yell?"

It didn't take me a moment's time to realize who that voice belonged to. My heart fell into my stomach's pit. My left eye twitched as I looked around fearfully, scared of the face I would find.

And of course, when I did see it, I couldn't help but scream like a little girl.

Two heavy socket blue-green eyes were leering back at me.

"My oh my," Rouge said, her words dripping with disgusting desire as she took her fingers back and coiled them around the bars. "I gotta say, that was pretty impressive. Better than my yell, that's for sure."

After I scrambled away, my chest rose and fell dramatically. I pointed an accusing finger in the thieving bat's direction. "_You!_ What are you doing here!"

She only rolled her eyes, pulling one hand back to place it on her hip. "Really? That's not exactly the question a knight in shining armor should ask his captured princess."

And then, as usual, being around this bat for longer than a minute brought on the stampeding anger.

"I'm being _serious,_ Rouge! Don't mess around! I have a time limit for being here!"

Even then, she didn't seem to pick up on my rush. "Time limit shmime shmimit. You act like we're in a video game or something. And speaking of games, what's wrong with having fun like we always do? Because trust me, teasing you really is amusing, and it helps since I've almost been bored to tears down here. Come on, it's a miracle that you're even here. Why not play along? You're not usually so...resistant."

My eye twitched again. "Oh...Resistant? _Resistant?_ I'll show you resistant!" I yelled, reaching between the bars and grabbing the side of her breast plate, making sure to not go anywhere near her cleavage. "Don't push with me, Rouge! Because I'm in no mood to be pushed around right now!"

Rouge's eyes flickered down to my hand and she hummed to herself in enjoyment. "Mm. You too? What's with all the boys around here playing the grabbing game? First I'm nearly strangled and now this."

A smirk played at her pink lips. "Though you're actually getting the hang of it. But for some reason, you made not to hit the target of interest. What a coy little echidna you are."

My face was fuming. "ROUGE! TELL ME WHERE RACHEL IS!"

She shrugged, all playfulness aside. "How should I know? She's not down here if that's what you're wondering. Probably somewhere above us."

"Then I'm leaving."

I pulled my hand away and brought it to my side, stomping off towards what I could only assume was an exit.

Rouge gasped behind me and kicked at the metal that bound her escape. "Wait! You can't just leave me here!"

"Watch me," I said harshly, not throwing her a second look.

She groaned. "Oh come on, Knuckie. Don't be so cruel. Plus, I don't know if you've noticed but you sort of need me."

I bellowed with sarcastic laughter right as I made it to the door. The only thing that made me stop was when I came face to face with a keypad hammered to the door in the place of a door nob. Sudden realization, and regret, told me I needed a code to get out.

Rouge clicked her tongue in disapproval. "Stubborn little Knuckles. You thought I was kidding, didn't you."

I said nothing. my fingers hovered in quivering rage over the numeric keys.

She tapped her foot against the ground. "I know the code because I've _seen_ the robots type it in. I actually know a _lot_ of things, like which room Rachel's being kept in for example. What, were you going to scavenge this place with no idea where to go? And if it didn't occur to you, I came here to save her myself. And look where it got me. You can't do this alone and you know it."

I only hesitated.

Her foot stomping got louder. "You were the one who said you were on a time limit!"

"OKAY FINE!" I yelled in defeat, running back to her cell. She jumped backwards just as I bashed the cage in with one packed punch.

The broken bits of metal clanked to the floor all around our feet, the resulting blow of force leaving the dust stirred.

Rouge breathed out happily, emerging from the swirling clouds and patted my shoulder. "Aw, nice. Ya done good, Knuckie."

I shrugged her away and pointed at the door. "Yeah yeah yeah. Now get me out of here, and take me to Rachel."

She only lolled her eyes again and stepped past me, shivering against the cold.

"Fine Mr. Bossy Pants, but I hope you know this mission is way easier said than done," she said, tapping a code into the device. A green light flashed and the door slid open, revealing the other better lit side. It was a bit warmer on this end, but I knew that would only change in due time.

"We need to be careful. I honestly never thought rescuing someone like this could be so difficult," she went on. "My well lamented plan failed, as you can see from the looks of things. And it's all because of a certain annoyance named Shadow the Hedgehog. He's hell bent on keeping Rachel here."

After we were completely out of the prison unit, we both broke into a run, and I realized shamefully that I was the one following her.

"Remember, wherever Rachel is, Shadow's bound to be," she said. "Who knows what he did to her after nearly killing _me_. Either way, that guy seems to have a pretty tight grip on her."

**(Rachel's POV)**

Shadow had a pretty tight grip on me. If he held on any harder, I would've lost circulation.

"For God's sake, aren't you going to fill me in on _anything?"_ I asked him, looking back and watched the veins of ice slither after us like it was giving chase.

Shadow only pulled me harder. "Yes! But now isn't a good time to chat!"

We suddenly came to a stop, and my momentum carried me forward so that I nearly careened into him. I staggered to his side and looked up to see he was eyeing a door with heavy concentration.

"Ah, there you both are! I've been looking for you two everywhere!"

My eyes slowly transferred to the side, and before I could turn around, they were following the form of a crimson bathed creature clad with devilish jester horns.

After having stopped to stare back at him, I was finally able to fathom how glacial the air had become. I hugged my shoulders and swayed stiffly on my feet.

"B-Bokkun..." I stuttered through a shuddering jaw. "It's good to see you."

He smiled, seemingly unfazed by the cold. "Aw, you're glad to see me? Cool, because I'm glad to see you're no longer a total nutcase. Decoe and Bocoe told me a pretty scary story about you. Like how you-"

"Hey," Shadow interrupted, pointing at Bokkun. "I need you to do me a favor."

Bokkun's lowered his goofy grin. "_Now?_ We're in the middle of this huge crisis, Eggman's practically tearing out his mustache in the control room, and you're asking for favors? Well no can do Shadow, especially when our biggest rival, Son-AH! HEY!"

Again, he had no time to finish, because Shadow had nearly ripped the door from earlier off it's hinges from being in such a mad fit to get it open (seeing that it was a manual door) and stuffed Bokkun inside. After I heard the little robo clatter over some unnamed objects, Shadow then reached over, latched onto my sleeve, and shoved me inside as well.

I lost balance before I even had time to maintain it and crashed to the floor, landing face first and sprawled out across from Bokkun.

"Sh-Shadow. Why-" I sputtered, turning over.

But just as I did, I was met by his viciously malign glare.

"Bokkun, watch over her and make sure she doesn't leave this room," Shadow instructed.

Bokkun crawled to his feet and drifted back into flight whilst wearing a stubborn frown. "Why me!? I'm not a babysitter you know! And this isn't a room, it's a storage closet!"

"Well whatever it is, see to it that she remains here and doesn't go beyond this door. You're in charge," the hedgehog told him. He then stepped back and slammed the door, and underneath it, the light of his skates could be seen coasting away.

Bokkun's sly smile returned, and this time he eyed me. Clearly, no one had ever left him in charge before, because he was suddenly enjoying this higher authority.

I leaned against the wall and whimpered hopelessly.

**(Sonic's POV)**

"You ready, Sonic?" Tails asked right as he steered the X Tornado midriff the Egg Carrier and steadied it so that it remained still in place.

I laughed. "I was born ready, pal!"

I prepared myself by tracing my steps backwards, before taking the giant leap of faith.

Once I was airborne, the wind cut through me like it was something solid. I did my best to omit the cloaking pain. It rose up my legs, and spiked on through the tips of my fingers.

I neared the closed off area of the space deck on the Egg Carrier. My body curled into myself and I ended up spinning in a blurred ball, blasting through the thick glass and landing down onto buckled knees.

My breath fell out in milky gusts. Now that I was aboard, I wasn't going to allow another single thought to linger by if it didn't have to do with Rachel's escape. I bolted into a run, jumped up, and blasted through a window above the strangely crafted walls, landing amid a paneled hallway.

The air inside wasn't much better, and the cold was creeping in faster now that I had busted a hole in the shield open. Now there was no way I could leave Rachel here. The exposure would kill her if they were to go back traveling into the depths of outer space.

There was no time to waste, I chose one direction to hurdle down, occasionally looking left and right for a sixteen year old human. And all the while it was getting colder...and colder...and colder.

**(Rachel's POV)**

Bokkun sprung about nonchalantly, singing random notes to himself in the gloom of the closet, minding the jutted out ends of metal parts that'd been stuffed into storage.

"Do-do dooo do! Do-Do-Do Dooo Do, Do-Do Do."

I was much less enthusiastic. If anything, I was downright irritated.

"Y-Y-You've g-got to be k-k-kidding me," I jabbered through bitten teeth.

Bokkun stopped mid-song to shush me. "Silence, you! Right now, you are under the watch of Bokkun the Messenger, and what Bokkun the Messenger says, goes!"

I flashed him a piercing frown, snuggling deeper into my stretched out cardigan. I had pulled my arms out of the arm holes so I'd be able to hug my bare legs, which were already turning numb. My sleeves hung limply to the side, and for a moment I considered ripping them off and using Bokkun's horn to stitch together a blanket. That's what desperation was doing to me.

Bokkun obviously wasn't feeling the same arctic effects I was. There was no way it was possible with how energetic he was. My only assumption was that it was because he was coldblooded and could adjust easily while my body was different, having always maintained the same temperature. The only indicator that proved I wasn't hallucinating it all, was that Bokkun was breathing out fog just the same as me. His slipped out in short, rhythmically timed bursts as he fell back into singing the song from before.

I nuzzled my face between my legs just as a fractured sigh poured from my mouth. "S-Staying here won't d-d-do any good. I w-want to know what's g-going on out th-there."

The melody stopped again, and this time Bokkun's neon eyes looked over to gape at me.

"You mean you really have no idea?"

I shook my already shaking head, fighting to control my voice. "A-All I know is it's just getting u-unbelievably colder b-b-by the second. So would you mind b-being the one t-to tell me everything that's-"

"Why of course not!"

I grumbled to myself. "Yeah didn't think so."

I tried to rise to my feet, though it proved to be painfully difficult. "Well if you're gonna k-keep me in the dark too," my eyes flickered around for a minute, "...no pun intended, then I'll just set out to f-find an answer on my own."

I took a single step towards the door, and before I knew it I was being high kicked backwards into a stack of wooden boxes.

I yelped right as I tripped into an open box, butt first, while the rest of the cardboard toppled around me. "BOKKUN! Y-You little_ slime_! What's wrong with you!"

He hummed innocently. "Oh nothing, it's just I figured I'd follow Mr. Sunshine and Rainbows' orders seeing how he has some anger issues. And remember, I'm in _charge."_

He pointed at me with childlike ferocity. "You're not leaving until we're given the okay to do so! In the meantime, pipe down and be a good little dog. I would hate to have to bring out the squirt bottle if you refuse to be obedient," he snickered.

My head fell back against the sharp edge of the box's flap. It cut into my neck, but I'd lost all feelings in my nerves so it wasn't much of a bother.

"Ah, so this is w-what hell is like..." I muttered.

Bokkun only laughed. "Hun, you're a bit late on that. You've been in hell for a looooong time."

**(Sonic's pov)**

I tapped furiously at the communicator on my wrist. The screens were blank, and no matter how many times I jammed my finger into the buttons, it wouldn't come back to life.

Given this weather, I wouldn't be surprised if the circuits had frozen over.

_Great! Now how am I going to check and make sure everything's running smoothly! What if Tails is in trouble? What if Knuckles didn't find Rachel and is trapped near the bottom? I need to know these things and can't do it if communicating with them is impossible!_

With a low huff, I slowed my running and took a sharp left down a different hallway. Now, I had to play everything by ear.

The Egg Carrier was dropping deeper and deeper into this ice planet's atmosphere. Pressure built around my eardrums, and the cold was becoming even more excessive. Possibly unbearable for a human like Rachel Tower. Their flesh was incredibly thin and vulnerable, despite having multiple layers. Here's hoping she's bundled in something warm, otherwise I might find her turned into an icicle.

I shook any remaining negative thoughts from my head and ran faster, with everything passing me in a rush of melted monotone colors.

_I'm at the back of the Carrier, and Eggman's at the front. I need to get there fast. We really are running out of time._

If it was even possible, this planet proved to be just as cold if not_ colder_ than outer space. It was similar to that one continent on Earth completely made up of ice. Atlantica or something like that. And I knew from television that humans who ventured out there wore thick coats, gloves, and boots. Rachel was probably still in her summer clothes. The thought was horrifying.

_Hang in there, Rachel. I'm coming for you._

**(Shadow's POV)**

_I'll kill him if he goes anywhere near her! I swear I'll rip him apart limb from limb!_

_Knowing he'd never come this far alone, Sonic 's little pack of idiot friends is here too, no doubt. And they all have the same interest in mind, which is to take Rachel from me. I'm not having it._

Granted I hadn't taken the best of care of her, but I did a hell of a lot better job than most kidnappers normally would. I also spared her more times than I could count on two hands. I'd protected her, saved her, and this was how I was rewarded.

It was _their_ fault that the Egg Carrier was getting colder inside. Rachel could freeze to death. Maybe leaving her in Bokkun's hands wasn't the most brilliant of plans, but it's better then bringing her down into the Carrier's core, where it's bound to be the coldest.

But no. They decided to break in, and now there's openings to the world outside. We'll all be lucky if she isn't dead by the time I've returned to her.

I veered past more walls that framed the corridors, my heartbeat moving faster and faster. Not because of the exercise, but because of the rage that was blistering inside me.

This would never have happened if they'd kept their noses in their own business.

And now they'll pay with their lives.

**(Rachel's POV)**

I watched Bokkun flutter about the enclosed space, his eyes wandering aimlessly. My fingers were looping tighter around my bunched legs. I couldn't figure out if that was my strength, or the stiffening of my bones and blood as this air sank heavier on me.

My eyes slowly moved and followed the Messenger Robo's dimmed figure. Given he was already dark to begin with, he camouflaged into his surroundings almost annoyingly too well. The only way I could find him was by chasing his wide, blinking yellow eyes.

"Guuarrrd duty! I'm on guuuuaaaarrrrd duty!" he sang. Yes, this was a song he'd made up earlier.

"Bokkun the guard man! Comin in your closets, workin' for the dark side! Be bangin up boxes, you can't run or even hide!"

He started throwing his hands up and down to match his beats. "And Rachel's a fool, here against the wall, her last name's Tower but she ain't even tall!"

I slowly crept toward a stack of boxes, minding the sharp screwdrivers and wrenches scattered on the floor.

"Bokkun is the boss man, the man with a plan, Shadow left him in charge...just because he can! Decoe and Bocoe ain't got nothing on me, so now little Rachel can't escape-y!"

I furrowed my eyebrows, disconnecting my dried over lips. "Wanna _bet!"_

And with that, I kicked over the pile of boxes next to me. Since they were lined against the back wall, it created a domino effect, and they came showering down right onto an unsuspecting Bokkun.

He shrieked just as a box flipped over his head and fell to the ground with him trapped underneath. The rest toppled noisily around him.

I grabbed a bundle of tools off the ground and began throwing them on top of the box. My hands roamed everywhere in a frenzy, attempting to find anything and everything heavy. My frostbitten fingers found the wedge of a hammer, and with a little extra force, I pried it off the ground and settled its weight hurriedly on top of the box.

And now, Bokkun was _really_ trapped.

I couldn't make out what he was saying under the box. Everything that came out was muffled, but I swore he was cussing, his words running over themselves as he punched and kicked at the box's insides. The tools rattled on top a little, but none of them happened to fall.

I didn't stop to marvel at what I'd done, and instead crawled forth with decreasing stability, hooking my hardened fingers around the door knob and shoving it open.

Struggling and wobbling ensued, but I enventually made it safely onto straightened legs, which were now burning from how frozen they'd become.

I crammed all worries of health and wellbeing into the corners of my brain, and began running on feet I was sure would crumble apart at any moment.

**(Sonic's POV)**

Right now, at this point, there was only one thing on my mind.

**(Shadow's POV)**

Only one thing was important now, and it was the only thing I wanted.

**(Rachel's POV)**

The only thing that kept me moving was one thing.

**(Sonic's POV)**

Reclaim.

**(Rachel's POV)**

Freedom.

**(Shadow's POV)**

_Murder._

x

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x

x

x

x

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(A/N) This ending reminds me of that song One Thing by...*sniff* One Direction...KSOANYWAYS..-

I'm sure by now you're readying your pitchforks. I know you guys hate these cliffhangers. I hate them too. I just want to finish this part of the story and get it out there, mostly for shock value because there's actually something of a twist coming up in this story. I was debating whether or not to mention that, because now you'll all predict what will happen and might come up with something better than what's planned T.T But there's a lot of different things going on. On Earth, and on this weird planet they're heading towards. Heh, yeah, how many times did I use the word 'cold'?

So while I've been gone, I turned seventeen (July 21st) I got my driver's license and took senior pics. And I just realized that when I started the story, Rachel was older than me, and now I'm older than her. Funny how time flies.

This is the ending of the first part. And the next one won't take me months. It will take maybe a week, two weeks at the most. I would've fit it all into one chapter, but my pace was getting so rushed, I was afraid the flow would become ruined. Again, I can't help but apologize for all the cliffhangers.

Reasons this took so long:

I had terrible writer's block, SO SO SOOOOO terrible. I hit a rump, and when this chapter was halfway done, I sat back and pondered how I could and would write this. The story isn't over. After part 2 is out, there's maybe two chapters left and then the story is done.

I've been busy with family related issues.

I have a car so now I'm constantly out running errands.

I re-edited this chapter 3 times to iron out everything and make sure it was cleanly written.

Oh and btw, when I wrote the part where Bokkun is humming, in my head he is humming the radio version of Still Alive. Yeah, I've been in a Portal fix lately. And those two words are kind of my updating abilities in a nutshell.

So thank you for reading! Not much romance here, but maybe some of the other aspects will make up for it? (nervous laughter) Stay tuned for next part, and then the remaining chapters!

OH and before I forget, I would like two mention that about a month or so ago, a little escapade erupted between me and two other authors. Long story short, I was trying to do one author a favor, and it sort of backfired when I realized the other author really didn't need public critism. So let it be a lesson to everyone else, even though this is the internet, we are on the nice, pretentious side of it. Don't be a butt to other authors. Don't call them out, and handle everything maturely. Don't be like me and make something a bigger deal than it really is -.-

So here's a shoutout to **FurrReal** and **Songbird's Spirit**! Check out their work, they are both equally creative and talented authors, unless you're already familiar with them which in that case you don't need me to tell you :) This is also my chance to publicly apologize to Songbird for being something of an a-word to her, and for ragging on her when it wasn't really my place. I'm really sorry, hun. I myself hate confrontations and feel awful and ashamed that I brought it on you. I hope I'm forgiven.

And to FurrReal, for having her awesome Shadow-based story where Shadow is hit by a car! Now come on, if that doesn't grab your attention I don't know what will.

My author's note is about to become longer than the story itself o.o Sorry about that. As I said before, Thank you for reading! Drop me a review if you want! Bye!


	27. Permanent, The Escape Part 2

**(Travis' POV)**

The handles on my sleepover bag nearly fell through my fingers the moment my grandfather answered the door. Emma's arm brushed past mine, and I could feel her tense muscles from where she had cemented in place. Even my mom couldn't hide her gasp of surprise once we all laid eyes on the man that stood in front of us.

Grandpa looked...oh gee how should I put this...absolutely downright awful. And I hate to say that, but it was nothing but true. Everything about him was so, so bad. I forgot everything for a second, and just stared back at him, my mind growing heavier.

His eyes had nearly been swallowed in the sagging folds of his brows as they stared back at us, creased and dead. The crevices on his forehead were sunken so deep, they looked like they'd been done with a black sharpie. His lips had lost all color; in fact the only part of him that wasn't gray, were the bluish purple bags forming under his eyes, tugging all the way down to his hollowed cheekbones. His white hair was thinned, with patches missing in numerous places.

It was hard to tell if it had just been so long since we'd seen him, and old age was taking its natural toll. Or...if these signs weren't natural at all, and were something far beyond what healthy seniors endured. It was as if all the stress and worry had physically drained him of whatever life he had left. Like he just so happened to pull the plug, and let all the happiness slip down the pipe.

He was practically the living, breathing form of depression.

After hearing him sound so happy and alive over the phone, this seemed almost impossible. When he called, it must've been some act he put on. Because this was something he couldn't possibly be faking. This was him. This was our grandpa. This was what he had become.

For some reason, it took everything in me not to cry.

"Father..." my dad said slowly behind us. "It's..._oh wow_...it's great to see you after it's been so long."

Grandpa Abraham nodded. I half expected him to creak like rusted gears in the process. "Indeed," he croaked out. "Too long, in fact. Please, come in."

He stood aside so we could enter the house. And this time, when we were able to see the inside of his beloved home, the shock had hit with such a strangely powerful blow, Emma and I both managed to finally lose our grip and the bags fell to the floor.

His house had lost all warmth, along with that wonderful, nostalgic sense of coziness to it. It was almost felt like we'd stepped into a grayscale painting. Everything was just as colorless as its owner, having been drained and emptied of anything happy. Swaying stacks of dirty dishes filled the sinks in the kitchen, the couch cushions were lopsided and covered in dented craters, and there was dust and chunks of linen visibly lining the floor. The T.V. was housing a static covered screen, with the MUTE logo blinking in the upper right hand corner.

Now I was almost certain he'd lost his mind. And from the looks of things, he'd lost it much earlier than recent.

I could tell we were being so bluntly obvious about how dumbstruck this made us. Maybe the same couldn't be said about my parents, but as for Emma and I, we had nothing to mask. We were disgusted, but also intrigued. And I could feel a pang of worry stirring somewhere within.

_What happened to this place? This...this was practically our second home. And now look at it._

_What happened to my grandfather?_

"Well I hope you fellas are hungry! Lasagna's baking in the oven," Grandpa said in a voice that was trying to sound lively, but failed miserably.

I turned back to look at the odd ghostly man who claimed to be my grandpa, and saw he was pulling out of a hug with my mother, and moving on to my father with outstretched arms.

I knew I was supposed to go and hug him. Mom and Dad would've wanted me to, to show not only manners but also love. It would've been the proper thing to do.

But funny enough, I was almost scared to.

"Ah, that sounds wonderful! Hot lasagna in this cold weather. Our little Emma loves lasagna, and so does Travis! He prefers his covered thick with cheese," Mom laughed. She was obviously faking her cheerful attitude, and was pretending nothing was wrong. But I knew better. This was something tragic, where, even at my age, it was impossible and almost insulting to play pretend.

Grandpa smiled, though he seemed to be putting in effort to do so much as move his mouth. "Well, I have a canister of shredded parmasan in the fridge. Feel free to help yourselves. You can bathe your dinner in cheese if you desire, it's no problem at all. Ha ha!"

I said nothing. Neither did my sister. Awkward levels rose dramatically.

To escape the sudden discomfort, we quietly moved in the direction of the guest bedroom, dragging our bags across the floor. It left a clean swipe behind.

I looked back just in time to see my parents heading for the couch, and Grandpa taking it upon himself to pat the remaining lumps away.

"Woah...did you see that? Grandpa looks like he's gone through heck and back..." Emma muttered as we entered the room.

All I could do was agree by nodding. We entered the room, set our bags down, and shut the door to continue gossiping amongst ourselves.

**(Knuckles' POV)**

"Knuckie...I'm getting really cold, you know."

By now I was internally bashing my brains in. She'd been at this for the whole damn ten minutes we'd been together. Longest ten minutes of my life.

It was either, Knuckles, I'm so tired, or Knuckles, I'm kinda hungry, or Knuckie-kins, it's darky-boo in here.

One more whine, one...more...whine...out of this annoying bat was all it would take, and I knew I'd lose my cool.

"Don't you have a blanket or a quilt or something I can borrow? Anything at all? Because this is one of the few times where I actually prefer to cover up," she said bitterly.

I huffed. "Oh sure, let me just reach in my pocket and pull out a quilt or a blanket for poor little bat girl!" I yelled sarcastically.

She only guffawed back. "Sheesh. I thought rescuers were supposed to look after their damsels, no matter what the costs may be."

My eyes narrowed ahead. For some reason, I hated the way she worded that sentence. Maybe because it came out of _her_ mouth. Now would be a good time to have a blanket...to gag her with.

"Lady, you are not my damsel. In fact, you are not my anything, and that includes being the main focus of this rescue. So please get that and any other unorthodox assumptions out of that pea brain of yours and stop being so selfish. Now, which way do we go, left, right or straight," I said just as we came across another intersection.

She stopped walking.

"...Straight," she answered plainly.

I began stepping forward.

"Up..."

I stopped and looked back. "Huh?"

When I came to face her, her eyes were cast with roaring fires. "...Jerk!"

I reeled away. "What...? What the heck are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about_ you!_ How you're a straight up jerk and nothing more!" she yelled back. "Here I am, giving you directions, being extremely helpful and whatnot because I figured I owed it to you after you busted me out of that cell, and I'll have you know that it took a lot out of my pride. But no, you're only making matters worse! I was wrong when I thought this could work if we stuck together. It's the exact opposite. You're the same typical dunce I remember you being back on Earth!"

She leaped off the ground, flexed her wings, and flew past me without a second glance. It was as if ditching me was a mere, casual, commonly overlooked thing.

My mouth fell open. I stood there stunned for a second, before immediately breaking into a run to chase after her.

"HEY! Where do you think you're going! You can't just fly off and desert me like that!"

No answer.

"Are you even listening to me? I'm ordering you to come back!"

She looked back at me past her scrawny wings with a smirk so vile I just wanted to smack it right off her face. Problem was, I couldn't reach.

"Oh would you quit bugging me! Can't you see that I'm off to finish my job? Let's not forget this was _my_ mission, assigned to me by the Commander himself! You came here independently, on your own free will. And disregarding that, I am NOT about to let some stupid echidna, who has no speaking skills when it comes to women, take that credit away from me!"

I ran a bit faster. "You stupid, selfish bat! I should've known you'd be this way! But this isn't about credit anymore, this is about saving Rachel's life!"

"Exactly! And I will be the one to do it! So see ya around, loser. Try not to die while you're here," she hissed back. The air carried her faster than I could run, so I slowed to a stop and watched her violet form blur into the distance.

The rage boiled over. Even though I figured she was out of earshot, I couldn't help but scream at the empty space.

"FINE! I was better off without you any way! I hope Shadow finds you and knocks you out cold again! Because I like you better when you can't talk!"

And after some maddened pouting and pacing, I remembered once again, Rouge knew exactly where to go. And me...I was now back to blindly moving about.

_Well, flying may beat running, but breaking down walls defeats every method in the book._

I smiled slyly, confidence pouring back through.

I would get there before her. I would be the one to save Rachel.

Maybe it was pride. Or possibly dignity. But whatever it was, I knew I wouldn't let anyone down again.

"Oho Rouge, you are so on."

And with that, I slammed my fist through the wall next to me, and with some balanced strength, bashed it clean into powdered rubble.

**(Rachel's POV)**

Every hallway looked the exact same, and it was the most aggravating thing anyone could possibly imagine.

It was a maze. A long, open ended maze, with long paths that either led into locked doors, or led in the wrong direction entirely. This cold, metal labyrinth would've been easier to master if I had memory like Rouge, who apparently could find her way around here like it was her regularly visited beach house.

Every frustration was better accentuated while being so cold, because it proved difficult to think about anything else at all. But, at least it worked to some kind of advantage. I found that I was basing my sense of direction solely on the temperature. If it was getting colder, then it also meant I was getting closer to the source of the pandemonium. Or at least that's what I was hoping.

When I found myself running on the outer corridors of the Carrier, I skidded to a stop after being hit painfully with blazing, whiter than white light. When my squinted eyes were able to peek apart, I found the window embedded next to me. And what I saw beyond the glass made me freeze dead in my tracks, and again, no pun intended.

For miles upon miles, there was nothing but snow coating the ground beneath the Carrier, and in the distance, a series of ice capped mountains that shined like molten chocolate. The sky was a deep, dark, rich blue color. And even though I could see no clouds drifting above, there were sprinkles of frozen ice substance shooting like bullets past the glass in a horizontal drift. Except instead of taking on the shape of flakes, from what I could see, they looked and fell like small, roundly shaped pellets while slinging by in a flurry. And they were falling, or slicing by rather, faster than gravity should have allowed, putting the concept of an alien planet atmosphere aside. The wind was probably stronger than I could imagine. Stronger than the ones on Earth, maybe even in the case of hurricanes. If I got the chance to stick my arm out into this storm, it would probably fly clean off. And in all honesty, that made it all the more terrifying.

We had yet to land, since it appeared we were still levitating in place. I was looking over everything, from the range of mountainous hills to the endless stretches of snow, from a bird's eye view. These unexplored regions sparked my enticement and curiosity. It was like being Alice in Wonderland with wings. Except Wonderland was either the North or South Pole since I was just about freezing my ass off to the point of no enjoyment...and the wings per-say were a mere illusion of how I was being carried and lunged about against my will in an airship under the command of a deranged scientist.

Okay, enticement over.

I stepped toward the window and placed my hands against it, only to tear them away less than a second later. A painful stinging had chomped down on my palms when they'd came into contact. I pulled them under my sleeves and turned away grimacing, feeling the skin redden and go raw. My eyes wandered back up and fell upon the white patches of hand prints I'd left behind.

_Good God. What kind of Wonderland is this?_

But then I remembered, this was no time mind to dawdle and ponder to myself. This planet was odd, yes, in a weird yet beautiful sort of way. But I couldn't be fooled by its looks. This place was definitely not fit for any type of organism's life, let alone mine. It was enchanting, but it was also enchantment that would kill in an instant.

I ripped my gaze away, and after a little working of my cramped muscles, began speeding down the hall once again. The fog of my breath grew thicker, and whatever sweat my body secreted only froze against the places it originated from. I could feel it hardening against my forehead, neck, and insides of my elbows. It was my own energy doing it, and I wasn't about to put it to rest.

_Which begs the question, what am I running for or from, anyway? Am I looking for something, for someone?_

I wasn't sure what fantasy or absolution I was literally chasing. But whatever it was, it had to be better than being locked in a dark closet with Bokkun, who I hoped was still trapped underneath his kryptonite, a.k.a. a measly wooden box.

_I remember that Shadow told me to run, didn't he?_

_And it did help before...didn't it? Even he said so._

Well then that says it all. If running is the only thing that can help me now, then that's exactly what I'll do. Running doesn't necessarily make you a coward. Not here, it doesn't. If fate is on my side, it's the only thing that can save me. Even if it hurts, even if it's leading no where...I'll still do it.

My chances of survival were only slimming the farther I went. And soon, I might go past the point of no return.

That's why, just like any determined survivalist, I did everything I could to keep my body working.

Hopefully, it would be enough to land me somewhere away from here.

**(Sonic's POV)**

All the individual strands of my fur were standing up on end, stiff and upright like little needles. My eyes were clouding over, constantly drawing their distracted focus back towards the windows, where a glowing snowfall was hammering down. I had to admit, if I hadn't been on such a crucial mission, it would've been almost impossible to steer myself away from stopping to look, but for now, out the corner of my vision would have to do.

Because time was being lost. And soon, I would be out of time completely if I didn't hurry.

Past the usual heroic streak, something about the anxiety was causing delirium inside me, and it was beginning to swallow me whole. I was starting to hear fragmented echoes of Rachel's dialogue from when we first met as they swung around in my head like a boomerang. One collection of words in particular.

_"Thank you, Sonic. For everything._

_So...uhh...I guess until then, this is goodbye..."_

Hearing them again, my faced turned rigid with confidence. Two hundred miles per hour became two-fifty, and then three, all while avoiding the sharply swerving twists and turns.

_No...not goodbye._

I barreled down the hall, eyes angled toward every doorway in reach. I made sure to check for any sort of movement that wasn't my own.

_Not yet._

...Nothing

...

...Still nothing.

...

...Still nothing...

...

...But then I heard it.

After the noise was able to click through my skull, I found my feet grinding to a halt and ears twitching in all directions.

_That sound...it almost sounded like footsteps. Yes, unmistakably, it had to be footsteps._

_Small, quick, nimble footsteps._

My ears zeroed in to listen closer.

The steps became accompanied by feminine panting.

I almost stopped right there and called out a warning greeting towards whomever or whatever it was my hearing was depicting. But instead, I found myself too overwhelmed and caught off guard, that I didn't make a sound, as if making sure not to drown out any other.

_Is it...Could it be..._

I jerked around, facing every which way. My irises moved at a dizzying speed, breath held tight in my throat.

And then the footsteps, which had slowly become louder and louder, stopped all at once.

And my senses picked up that they had stopped behind me.

I bent around to confront the clamored, now silent sound...and found myself facing a pale, shivering, defiled Rachel Tower, looking like she was just about knocking at death's door.

**(Rachel's POV)**

The world went still. My body had involuntarily buckled from the surprise, and shivered as it kept on coming in rippled shockwaves. Everything inside me froze. My heart skipped at least five beats. I didn't move an inch, not even to release a painfully held breath.

My eyes were suddenly turning warm. They broke past the thin barriers of ice that had coated them, and now overjoyed tears, as well as slivers of frost, were moving down my face, leaving a wonderfully burning sensation behind.

"S-Sonic..." I whispered.

_So.._.I thought incredulously, _this must mean it was him who broke into the Egg Carrier. He was the blue headache Eggman was referring to. He's the reason why everything's gone awry._

_And it's because...he's come for me._

_They've all come to save me._

The snow was still falling and left dotted silhouettes raining down the right side of his figure. The pearly white glow set one of his emerald eyes ablaze, while the other remained shrouded in red shadow. At first, he mirrored me by not moving. But then he took one step towards me, mouth dropped, and his tongue pointed as it morphed into a smile.

"Rachel!" he shouted triumphantly, laughing mid-sentence. Most likely because it was near impossible to contain our mutual joy. I was showing off my own pitiful share of emotion, biting my trembling lip as a drop of hot, liquid salt seeped past the corner.

If I hadn't been so cold, I would've broken into a run, charged straight up to Sonic, and attacked him with the world's biggest glomp. I wanted to bury my face into his neck, weep with happiness, and not worry about being taunted for showing emotion, and finally, without question, feel a true sense of safety, no strings attached.

He was the one to move first. He stepped towards me quickly, grin still aloof.

I smiled back gingerly and emitted an airy laugh.

_Ah, finally here he comes! It's finally happening! I'm going home for sure now!_

_Finally..._

_My freedom..._

_My family..._

_Everything about my life..._

I bit my lip.

_It will return._

But then, there was a dart of neon yellow light that flew in from a hall on the left and impaled the blue hedgehog's side, sending him tumbling into the window, and then the floor.

The rest felt like it was playing in slow motion. My gasp was slow, drawn out, just as a stab of fear sank like acid straight through my heart. I watched the shadow of a form with sharply notched quills emerge from behind the wall, eyeing the hedgehog he'd shot down with a set of fiery red eyes.

Sonic didn't waste a second's time. He scrambled onto his hands and knees, cracking one eye open to gawk up at his attacker.

He didn't even need to say his name. Their eye contact said everything that was being thought.

Shadow might have been frowning down at him, but when he spoke, it almost sounded like he was holding back a smile. "Well well well, what do we have here?"

His crimson eyes then floated up and settled on mine.

"And I thought I told you to stay put..." he said slowly, in a voice that was soft and calm. But somehow, that made everything a bit scarier. I knew he had yet to show his true rage. He was holding back.

"You were supposed to be watched over. You weren't supposed to be here. And you were _not,_" he eyed Sonic for a second, "supposed to find him."

He then started walking towards me, fists tightened, eyes inclined.

"When will you ever listen..." he said. And I couldn't help but take it as a threat.

Sonic grunted behind him and attempted to stand on two feet before things could turn ugly.

"Hey! You get away from her!"

Shadow didn't listen to a word of it, of course. I found myself not fearing Shadow as much as I thought I would. But I was definitely nervous, shaking hard at both the cold and the nauseating uncertainty. I felt an oncoming plague of sickness, and started to hold my hands up defensively, bracing myself for the worst.

Sonic made it onto both feet, scowling angrily. "I said GET AWAY FROM HER!"

Shadow was now the one being knocked down, this time from behind. Sonic had tackled him, wearing an expression so contorted with rage, I found my blue hero almost unrecognizable. He then growled at his darker counterpart before they broke into a wrestle for dominance. Shadow was able to turn over into time so that he wasn't completely blindsided, and the two were then in a tumbling battle. Sonic seemed to be only trying to hold him down in place, while Shadow was making sure to land the sharpest punches and kicks he could muster.

I backed away slowly, watching in silent horror. There was something inside eating away at my nerves as the scene played out. I wanted terribly to go over there and yank them apart, because this was one of the most painful and frightening things I'd ever witnessed, if not the most painful and frightening. Every time one of them got hurt, it was like a kick to the gut. I found myself worrying for both of their safety, more than my own.

But I knew this was a battle that peace could have no part in. Someone would have to beat the other. And as much as I wanted Sonic to win so we could both escape properly, leaving to reach not only Earth, but also Station Square...leaving Shadow like this either way still seemed incredibly brutal.

Just as I had taken another step in reverse, something caught my eye.

Something outside, beyond the window.

I turned my neck quickly, stressing the corded muscles, and watched as two orbs of pink and yellow flew past me.

Glowing, flashing, leaving streams of their respective color in lingering trails, and swirling around each other in what looked like a synchronized dance of light and air. My eyes squinted in focus, panning sideways to follow their curious movement. The sight struck me with something that was beyond regular awe. And reality, intellect, and common sense, left millions of hints staining my brain of what it was I was seeing.

_Were those...? Those couldn't be..._

It only made sense. They were glowing. And there were two of them.

_...The Chaos Emeralds._

"Rachel look out!"

My head whipped back around to face the battling hedgehogs.

I had no time to prepare myself seeing as it all happened in a nanosecond. Shadow had harnessed another searing hot spear and flicked his wrist in Sonic's direction. Sonic had instinctively jumped out of the way, but now it was me that Shadow had his hand aimed at.

I watched the fury in Shadow's face melt into shock, just as the radiated light balled into his palm and was about to zap forward.

Sonic dashed behind Shadow and snatched his arm away from me.

Instead, he pulled it back so that it was aiming at the window.

I screamed and flew forward in protest, latching a hand out towards them.

Sonic realized his mistake by the time it was too late to counteract. The energy sprang out of Shadow's pulse, shooting straight through the shield of glass, which had been the only thing separating me from an icy grave.

It was like watching my life shatter into a million tiny shards of pieces.

**(Amy's POV)**

"Oh my gosh, did you hear that?"

Tails moved his hands away from the levels on his control pad and hovered them above the buttons. "What, you mean that glass breaking?"

I nodded, even though he couldn't see it. "Yeah...I thought Sonic had already gotten inside. How many windows does he need to break to make one entry? He's not usually that sloppy."

My fox friend dropped his head down at his communicator after noting the dimmed and flickering lights, and clicked away at it. "I don't think that's it. I would ask him myself, but I've lost signal with both him and Knuckles. It's probably this cold weather that did it. I wouldn't be surprised."

He then pounded down on the gadget furiously.

"Why do I have to have this kind of bad luck! I want to know what's going on in there!"

I reared back sheepishly. "I know...I do too."

I looked out the window, skimming past the deck that Tails had expertly landed on after steering past broken triangles of glass that clung to what was left of the shield. (He says that having come into contact with those shards would've seriously damaged the engines.)

I couldn't help but find that it was quiet...way too quiet.

"I think something's wrong," I said quietly.

Tails looked back out the windows of the cockpit. "I was thinking the very same thing. There shouldn't have been a second crash like that, no questions asked. And besides..."

His eyes wandered over the deck as well.

"...I'm wondering why Eggman hasn't tried taking advantage of attacking us yet. I know I could beat him."

I huffed and crossed my arms. "Oh shush, you keep talking like that and you're gonna get bad karma or jinx us, Tails! So what if he's not making a move. Let's just hope it stays this way. In the meantime, you wanna test out that Heat Ring you kept going on about on the way up here? You yourself said that it would need a second test run once we reached our destination. But you never told us what it does exactly."

He shrugged. "I don't know if the timing is right. I'm afraid the gears will malfunction due to these extreme conditions. And, we need the Heat Ring so that Rachel can cross the deck and get onto the X Tornado safely. It has a radius of about two hundred feet, which, given where we currently are, should mean the warmth will reach the entryway."

"And how hot does this fancy-dancy radius get?" I asked.

He glared ahead. "About two hundred degrees Fahrenheit. But, given that it's probably negative one hundred degrees out here, it'll cancel out so that it doesn't bake Ms. Tower's human flesh like a souffle."

I couldn't help but gasp. "Negative one hundred degrees? How are you sure Rachel even survived that up until now?"

The two tailed fox only twitched.

"I'm not."

He breathed out. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she isn't already frozen to death, as grim as it sounds. We're gonna need a miracle to make sure she lives past this."

My saddened face suddenly uplifted and I released a hearty laugh. "Oh, we have miracles, Tails! Two of them in fact. One's buffed out and the other's capable of breaking the barrier of sound. And they're in there to retrieve Abraham Tower's granddaughter at this very moment! It'll all work out. It always does!"

He looked back, his tired blue eyes glistening. "Thanks for that. Good to know we have a Positive Patty here for healthy reassurance."

I frowned back at him. "But...my name's Amy."

The ground suddenly shook underneath the X-Tornado's brakes, and a mocking voice boomed out through unseen speakers.

**"Aw, the band of idiots have returned yet again, I see! Well good, I've been meaning to test out my new and improved welcome wagon. And by welcome wagon, I of course mean my killer robot army."**

Tails and I exchanged an unbalanced glance. His was angered and determined, while mine showed I was about two checkpoints away from peeing myself.

"Great Tails. You jinxed it."

**(Rachel's POV)**

"NO! _SONIC!"_

The air was pulling with such grand force that it felt capable of ripping the very flesh from my bones. My shoes scraped across the ground and I ended up getting flung onto my back, flipping over and clawing at the floor until my nails broke. This wind had me at the ankles, and it was sucking me back towards the busted opening with no desire to cease.

Instead of screaming, I only grunted and planted my fingers as deep as I could into the ground. They blistered and burned the more I was pulled. The rush whipped my hair around in a frenzy, and left my clothes flapping against my skin. The wind surged through my eardrums and left me deaf and my entire head throbbing. I looked over my shoulder for an instant, unable to see any hedgehogs present...nor could I see anything that resembled a Chaos Emerald beyond the shards of broken glass that framed the blue and white scenery.

And I was about to get yanked into that world. Where I would die, no doubt.

I turned back over and pressed my forehead into the ground, breathing hard.

Sonic...Shadow...my lips molded the words endlessly, tears slipping down my face.

But then something wrapped around me from behind.

My watered eyes stared at the ground. My body shook violently all over. The fight in my legs was disappearing. My muscles went limp, and with a small choke, I found something pressing against my stomach and lifting me up carefully. The tiles on the floor rocked through my vision, before flying down. And that meant I was moving forward.

"Sonic..." the name left my mouth in a hiss. I couldn't hear it, but I knew I said it. I chanted it over and over between broken breaths...my sobs diminishing.

As the distance went on, the air's grip on me started to fade. Even then, I could only barely feel it at all. I had lost nearly all feeling. But I could sense my arched legs suddenly dropping, my head moving down to see what was beneath me. I tried to see what style of shoes I would find, seeing as that would indicate who was carrying me now. But they weren't in view, and my neck wouldn't let me look any farther.

"Sonic..." I said again, my heart lurching into my throat. This time, I could partially hear myself, and detected the whimper in my voice. My hearing was returning. I was now able to hear metallic footsteps.

Next thing I knew, I was being released and crumpled against a corner, where the windows were no longer in view.

My face lifted and I looked up through my scraggly bangs.

Shadow's crimson eyes that camouflaged in with the lighting bore back at me angrily.

"Be still," he instructed.

Instead of sensibly obeying, I screamed as loud as I could and kicked my legs wildly, despite how much it hurt.

"NO! NO!"

I half expected to get restrained right there on the spot. But Shadow was treating me with more care than usual. Like I was a china doll. Right as my hands started flying, he calmly took hold of both my wrists and held them in place, having no visible reaction to my outburst.

"NO! THIS ISN'T HAPPENING! SONIC! WHERE IS SONIC!"

"Gone," he answered coldly. "He fell through the window."

"NO!" I shrieked. "No he didn't! He couldn't! You're lying. I know you're lying!"

My mind was in a scramble. This couldn't be happening.

_I won't accept it. No, this can NOT happen a second time!_

_All I have left to wonder is **why?** Why does escape always slip through my fingers like liquid? The next person came to help me, Sonic the Hedgehog, and he's out there right now alone, lost if not dead._

And it's all at the hands of Shadow the Hedgehog.

I was hyperventilating now. Shaking my body, my head, saying no over and over.

Shadow's grip tightened.

"Honestly, did you think I planned on keeping you here forever?"

I winced at the hostility in his words and turned away from him.

He continued. "What I fail to understand is why you would want to leave here so badly, as if I was never going to take you home myself. As if I wouldn't look after you for the time being,"

I bit my trembling lip and sniffled.

"You are such a fool, Rachel," he said, now softly. "If I've said it before, I'll say it again. You really are a stupid, stupid person."

I could feel him lean in closer.

His breathing went still. "So, why is it that I care about you so much?"

A chill ran through the air. We both remained silent, as if expecting the other to answer the question. Before I could announce the obvious, _I don't know,_ he was the next to speak.

"Maybe it's because of _how_ stupid you are. I feel like if I'm not there, you'll always manage to wander into some sort of danger. And sometimes, I'm the danger you walk into. But that's something you choose. And in the end, someone who murders and destroys like I do, finds himself looking after you like a pet. But you should realize this..."

He moved closer, which I didn't think was possible.

"I'm not your guardian, Rachel. I'm not here to protect you. Even though I do it regardless. You can't rely on me forever."

His voice lowered. "Maybe I'm the stupid one."

I found myself shaking my head.

"No...you're not," I croaked out.

The tightness in me loosened, and I fell forward a bit into Shadow's grasp, breathing out unsteadily.

"Y-You would be fighting as hard as me if the situation were reversed, if not harder...and I know you would. You w-would have the exact same hatred. The same anger. The same resentment."

I was pretty sure my lungs were coated in a layer of ice. It wasn't easy to talk, but I did it anyway.

"I want to get out of here, Shadow. I w-want to leave. It's my own fault I'm here...I know that...but that doesn't m-mean I want to spend all this time blaming myself for it. I'll keep t-trying and trying even if it kills me. I want to see my family...my friends...my home. I had a chance too, and it literally just flew out the window."

I looked up at him bravely with drooping eyes. My stuttering went dead for a moment, so my voice was able to match the intensity in my glare. "I can't believe anything you say. I really do feel like I'm stuck here forever. In fact, I don't think I'll ever get out of this place. Not alive at least. Never..."

My shaking slowed. "And if I were to die right here, you would be the last person I looked at."

Shadow went silent. Even his breathing was no longer audible. He was focusing on the area of my chest, past the shining blue jewel on my necklace, where my heart was pulsating underneath the frostbitten tissue, I could feel the organ beating slower, and then faster, over and over again in a jumbled rhythm. His eyes hardened.

"You are not going to die. And you will go home. I'll see to both those things, Rachel Tower..."

He pressed his forehead against mine. My breathing hitched.

"...I promise."

**(Travis' POV)**

Me and Emma sat side by side, gawking out the window with distant, glazed over expressions. The sun had already dipped in and out of sight, and now the sky was becoming a velvety blue. Not a single star was out. The street lamps were starting to flicker on and broke through the dark with yellow light.

In the back of my head, I listened idly to my parents chat with Grandpa Abraham. For the most part, they chatted in a calm and collected manner about simple, mundane things, and only at times did their voice drop into low whispers so that I had to strain to hear. All the while, the smell of cooked sauce and cheese wafted throughout the house, and made my tummy rumble loud.

Emma looked at me and snorted quietly. "Dude...if you're hungry, why not go out there and get ready for the lasagna?"

I shook my head, scooting farther back across the mattress. "I don't want to be out there. Not right now, at least."

She only sighed out, looking down at her crossed fingers. "Oh Travis, let's not start this now. Can we please go back out? Mom and dad will be leaving soon, and then it'll just be us and Grandpa. We are staying overnight, after all. And besides, sitting in here with nothing but the moon to stare at isn't really all that fun..."

I didn't respond back. My eyes just kept glaring blankly ahead.

Emma turned over and poked me, as if making sure I was still alive. "Hey. You still think we're a family, right?"

Again, I produced no answer.

After that she just mumbled to herself and climbed off the bed, heading straight for the door. "Well fine, be that way. The correct answer was yes, we are. And I'm not gonna let even you keep us from feeling like one."

She squeezed through the door and shut it behind her, leaving me alone with nothing but my thoughts as company. I did feel a little stab of guilt, but didn't let it show.

I could hear my mother addressing Emma from the living room. "What's the matter, sweetie? Are you ready for supper?"

"Yep," she answered plainly. Her voice was far away and muffled. "Me and Travis are both starving."

I winced to myself. _Ah crap, that little traitor. Why'd she have to mention me?_

"Well bring him out and we'll all sit down and eat together."

I shook my head, eyes closed and lips pursed.

_Stop it, mom. Stop pretending that everything is okay. You know very well that I have no intention of going out there and being with all of you at the same time._

"I couldn't help but notice you're both much quieter than usual. Is everything okay?" my grandfather asked them.

It felt like a brick had been lodged into my stomach. _No, of course everything is not okay! Isn't that part obvious?_

"Yes, yes," my mother responded. "Travis has just been a bit moody lately."

My nostrils flared with anger.

_A bit moody? A bit **moody**?_

_So when exactly did she lose track of emotion? It's like I'm the only one left who cares, or even remembers what happened to my sister. No one ever mentions her anymore, and when I do it myself, they act like I've committed a crime._

There was a loud, rocky breath somewhere beyond the door. I distinguished it as my grandfather's.

"Okay, everyone, please listen..." he grumbled to himself. "Ah, I can't help but feel that this really is poor timing. But I feel it's better early than never...

Anyways, there's something I've been meaning to show all of you. And I wanted to wait until we were all together like this again, figuring that would be the best time. It's something rather important. But, in all fairness, I think Travis should be here to see it. It might mean something more to him than I give credit."

My ears suddenly perked when I heard some shuffling around, the sound of couch cushions becoming lifted and thrown to the side.

"Now I know this may be a bit of a shock, but I need you all to please remain calm, and don't shout or be angry with me. Just remember, I kept this a secret in order to protect you."

I found my feet ghosting across the ground as they carried me toward the door in curiosity.

And when I pushed it open, and the rooms outside dawned into view, I found my grandfather lifting the middle couch cushion and reaching inside.

"Dad...?" My father said quietly, who was sitting on an adjacent cushion and watching as he rummaged past the bed of springs. "What is it you're looking for?"

He didn't answer, and instead moved his arm around some more. But then, he paused, his cold eyes warming, and out of nowhere he pried out a glowing, sparkling, jade colored jewel.

I found my mouth dropping open, and after standing there stunned, I found myself running into the room.

_That's...that's a..._

I shouted at the top of my lungs upon making an entry, "A Chaos Emerald!"

**(nobody's POV)**

Dr. Eggman was cackling diabolically over his controls, eyeing the screen in front of him that displayed a little amateur aircraft where an orange fox and pink hedgehog were awaiting inside.

"You little idiots!" he laughed. "Did you really think it wise to ambush me, when I have the power of four Chaos Emeralds and a bloodthirsty hedgehog on my side?"

He watched Tails' mouth something to Amy, and laughed again.

"There's no point in planning an escape now! You may be bright for you age, fox boy, but you're no match for my mass intellect! And you'll find out the hard way not to tamper with my system, be it very sensitive."

He bellowed with crazed laughter for the third time, his finger hovering over a bright red button.

"You came here for the human girl, I assume. And you will leave empty handed...that is...if your hands are even still intact when my robot army is finished with you!"

He then jammed the button to deploy the robots. "ROBOTS ATTACK!"

His eyes glistened with victory, as he watched the glitching screen to see when his creations would arrive and blast the nosy little animals into space oblivion, never to be heard from again. His anticipation grew with each passing second, and he chuckled gloriously to himself.

But then the chuckles died down more and more, when he failed to catch any sort of moving metal or weaponry appear on screen. Instead, he leaned toward the screen.

"Hm? The camera must be delayed," he said, tapping the screen.

But a small voice squeaked with anger behind him.

"It's not delayed..."

Dr. Eggman, startled by the intrusion, spun around and found a dirty, dusty, slightly bruised Bokkun floating before him.

"B-Bokkun...?" he said, eyeing the Robo cautiously. "What in blazes happened to you?"

The navy blue creature only sighed out in a dangerously calm manner. "Oh nothing. Just nearly killed myself trying to get out from under a box. Certain heavy metal objects hit me on the way out. Might I add it was a box...that a certain human trapped me under."

Dr. Eggman, while a little curious and disturbed...ignored his minion and faced the screen once again.

"Oh never mind that. I don't have time for your sob stories! You seem to know what's going on with the cameras. So what are you waiting for? Explain!"

Bokkun laughed low and childishly to himself. "I do know what's going on, Doctor. But it isn't the camera. It would be that button over there that triggers your precious little robot army."

His eyes half-lidded. "I disabled it."

Eggman stopped moving all together. His face was plain, eyes unblinking, and mustache perfectly still.

The silence before the storm.

"WHAT! WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!" he screamed, so loud that his voice over the intercom shook the whole Carrier, and puffs of chilled smoke shot out from under the bushel of his facial hair. "BOKKUN, YOU LITTLE MORON! WHY WOULD YOU DELIBERATELY SABOTAGE MY PLANS!"

Bokkun, strangely enough not showing fear to his master's outburst, shrugged innocently. "I dunno. I kind of was looking for Rachel so I could strangle her to death for running away when I was in charge. I was checking rooms and closets, and then found the generator, which was sparking by the way, and thought I saw Rachel's hair for a second. So I pulled it, but it turned out being a wire...which I guess was a...well...pretty important wire."

"YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT!" Eggman shouted, his face turning an unhealthy combination of red and purple. "That's it! I've had enough of your little antics! This is the final straw! I hereby banish you from the Egg Carrier! Go! Get lost! You're FIRED!"

"That's quite unnessecary, Doctor Fatso-Stupid Pants! Because I quit!" Bokkun yelled at him bravely, dodging a flying wheeled chair that was thrown his way. He flew out of the control room, trailing with him long, taunting laughter. "Try finding someone to deliver your messages now!" He hummed some lines from Baby It's Cold Outside as he retreated, before completely vanishing altogether.

Dr. Eggman was fuming. His ears were hot...teeth gnashing together. He whirled around to face the screen and saw, to his horror, that Tails was smirking back at him.

He mouthed two last words. And Eggman was able to read them perfectly.

_I win._

**(Sonic's POV)**

The snow scuffled and crunched under the soles of my shoes. My eyes became slits as they peered ahead, watching the two lemon and magenta colored glows weave around each other, leaving behind colored bands of light. I knew they were the Chaos Emeralds the moment I landed here and saw them fly past me. How they'd become capable of flight...I had no clue. Maybe it was a chemical imbalance due to the atmosphere. I'd have to ask Tails later.

My head lifted and I stared up at the bottom of the Egg Carrier. Even though it was hard to see clearly after having my vision pelted with small flecks of ice, I could make out that it was still hovering, and I knew that the only way I could get up there seeing as it had no plans of touching ground, was to warp back.

And to do that, I needed a Chaos Emerald.

I looked back towards the ignited Emeralds and broke into a sprint, heading straight for them. Through the blurs in my eyes, they looked like nothing more than sparkling clouds. But I was able to follow their path...and with a little extra strength, move closer and closer until I was hot on their trail.

The wind was howling past my ears and whipping against me all over. It didn't feel too great, but I knew it would all be worth it in the end.

I was directly beneath both the Chaos Emeralds. I kicked off the sunken ground and moved forward against the wind, hands outstretched towards the swirling gems.

And with carefully placed precision, I managed to land both of them in my grasp.

The air was screaming now as I fell back towards the ground. Halfway through the plummet, I concentrated heavily on summoning my inner energy. Energy that I wasn't programmed to have like Shadow was. Energy that wasn't exactly a cake walk to conjure.

The Chaos Emeralds glowed lazily in my palms. I took a deep breath and filled my lungs with the cold, foreign air.

"Chaos...Control!"

**(Shadow's POV)**

I couldn't tell if she was near falling asleep, or close to dying. But either way, I found myself not saying another word in regards to Rachel Tower. Not about her being a fool. Not about my discombobulating feelings. Not about anything at all. No words were exchanged. Nothing but breathing, and shaking.

We'd changed positions. And instead it was me sitting against the wall, with Rachel curled up next to me. Her head rested on my shoulder, arms tied around one of my own, with white stippled eyelashes closed over and twitched along with the silver mists in her quiet panting.

She wasn't holding onto me because I asked, or threatened her into doing it. But it wasn't exactly her first choice either. She was about to freeze to death, seeking even the smallest bit of warmth to latch onto, which in this case, happened to be me. Her body heat was no longer there. She herself felt like a fleshy bag of ice.

Her face buried deeper into my fur with an almost frustrated whine. I'm sure to her, it was like having a blanket next to you, but being unable to wrap it around yourself.

Before I could stop myself, I found that I brought one arm over and pressed it into hers. I pushed down, as if trying to sink some of my heat into her skin.

She shivered a little, loosening slightly.

"S-Shadow..." she breathed out jaggedly.

I myself was growing tense.

"What," I asked in a voice much stronger than hers.

There was an eerie silence that followed. But then she broke it with a small sniffle.

"Am I...Am I g-going to die?"

I pushed my hand harder into her arm. "No," I answered sternly. "Don't talk like that."

"B-But..." she sighed. "I c-can't even feel a-anything anymore..."

A knot formed in my throat. I looked down at the top of her untidy head.

"You're going to be alright. Trust me."

She didn't argue it, or make any other complaints, even though I knew I didn't sound convincing.

She only shifted closer, and held tighter.

**(Knuckle's POV)**

Another packed punch. Another wall shattered.

_That's got to be the fiftieth wall I've busted down. It doesn't feel like I'm getting anywhere!_

I was growing wary of all the noise I was making. Somehow, it hadn't attracted anyone's attention, most noticeably Shadow's. Such a shame too. I had been expecting a brawl of epic proportions.

I only shook off the remaining queries and moved ahead.

Eggman had been yelling at someone over the intercom earlier. From what it sounded, things were not going according to his plans, which was perfect for the rest of us. His distractions and inabilities to slow us down would make reaching Rachel simpler.

But then my feet screeched to a halt.

_Oh no...now that I think about it...I've been at this for a while. Rouge left me behind and knew exactly where to go. What if she's already found Rachel..._

My fists quivered with rage at the mere thought of her putting me in second place.

_What if I've been doing this for who knows how long...and she already has Rachel in that obnoxious pink spaceship of hers and is heading back towards Earth right this very second..._

The anger became overwhelming, I found myself thrashing my fist into the wall next to me, accompanying the clatter of breaking panels with an enraged shriek.

When the dust cleared, I stepped through the uneven opening and turned around to stomp off into the next unknown direction.

But instead, I found Shadow and Rachel pressed together in a corner.

**(Shadow's POV)**

I looked up and was met with the eyes of the Guardian of the Master Emerald. I should've known he'd be here too.

This was it.

This was where my final decision lye.

My eyes wandered down to Rachel one last time, before drifting back towards the dumbfounded echidna, who was quickly taking action after having witnessed us together. His eyes were slanted, fangs clenched, and he was running at us, shouting mostly at me.

"SHADOW! LET GO OF RACHEL TOWER RIGHT NOW!"

Without another word or acknowledgement, I clutched onto Rachel tightly and stood with her slumping over me tiredly. I slowly walked towards Knuckles, who was snarling and yelling total nonsense. I didn't make sense of any word he said.

I found myself holding Rachel more tightly than I should have been. My heart pounded in my chest the more I moved, and the more I felt the human girl dragging her worn feet across the ground.

The echidna and I were almost face to face. He looked ready to fight. Ready for the ultimate showdown.

But none of that interested me. The only thing that mattered to me right now was this stupid girl's life.

I glared back at Knuckles, held out the arms I was using to support Rachel, and offered him to her.

To take away.

Forever.

**(Rachel's POV)**

Everything was fading in and out of black. And even my hearing was lessening the more I fell into a slumber that could very well last forever.

I had heard a crash, and saw a wall in front of me get pounded into cinders.

But then silence and darkness ensued.

The lights flowed back, and I found that I was being carried forward in a slouch against Shadow's warm frame.

And then it all went black again.

There was shouting. A gruff voice that sounded mildly familiar was yelling something towards us, but it all came out in echoed gibberish.

When I was able to see again, I saw a pair of dark purple eyes studying me carefully.

The electricity holding me stopped, and tenderly moved me forward.

Then the warmth dissapeared.

The form of contact suddenly left me alone and unattended.

I found something else holding onto me. Something else that lacked heat...and carefulness...and pulsating energy.

My senses were numbed again.

The last thing I remembered was my head lolling over and my eyes fixing sideways.

I watched a sharp black and red creature walk away with its back to me.

And then, against my consent, sleep claimed me.

**(Sonic's POV)**

The Chaos Control proved successful, seeing as I transported myself back into the Egg Carrier.

That is, I happened to drop down right in front of Knuckles, who was carrying an unconscious Rachel Tower.

"Knuckles?" I exclaimed. "What-...You...you got her!"

He seemed lost in his own thought, but whatever he was thinking, he immediately shook it out of his head.

"Yeah yeah, something like that. Now get us out of here while we still have a chance!"

I nodded quickly. "Right, I'm on it. Grab onto me and make sure not to let go."

He obeyed automatically, jabbing his hand forward and tossing Rachel over his shoulder in the process. He took hold of my arm.

Even though I was burning out, I summoned all the energy again. It was exhausting and overworking, but we were _so_ close. I couldn't stop now.

"CHAOS CONTROL!"

The scarlet scenery melted away, and in its place, the backdrop of the sky deck and the X Tornado appeared.

Tails saw us from his seat and jumped up with wide eyes. He waved one arm frantically while the other stabbed at a button, and the door on the X Tornado fell open with a clank to the floor.

My grip on the Chaos Emeralds tightened. I shot inside, waiting impatiently for Knuckles to hurry in along with the rescued hostage.

Almost instantly, the door elevated and sealed shut, pressurizing the interior.

Tails rushed to crank all sorts of levers, and after some yelling from Amy and I ensued, the X Tornado ascended off the ground.

Knuckles moved to buckle Rachel into an empty seat, tucking her blue-tinted body against the cushion and fastening the belt over her waist.

All the while, we were lifting higher and higher into the sky, until the Egg Carrier was nothing more than an ugly lump on the planet of ice.

By the time we were high enough to see the black void of space, Tails took the wheel and spun it so that the aircraft rounded, and we began moving in the way we'd come.

In the direction of home.

Where all of us would soon be.

**x**

**x**

**x**

**x**

**x**

**Man, I've been at this for hours. And even then, the final product is less than satisfactory -_-**

**I might come back and edit it again tomorrow. It's a bit rushed for my tastes, even though it's extremely long too. But as for now, the Hell we all know as school is tomorrow! So I must leave you with this. Please review if you have time. Thank you!**

**-Oh, and quick side note. You might all be flabbergasted by Shadow's sudden wtf give up attitude. But it won't last, I can assure you. He was only trying to save Rachel's life :) Oh yeah, and that 'twist' I mentioned in the last chapter, kind of downplayed here, but we'll go more into depth in the next chapter. Hopefully it will help explain a lot of things.**

**Okay now bye for real!**


	28. Unbalanced Ratios

**(Rachel's POV)**

_Oh, my dear._

_Dear little Miss Tower._

_You're so hopelessly unaware._

_In fact I'm quite near to taking pity on you, and the ignorance rooting through your heart._

_Like a thriving vine lined with blades, as it winds you up whole._

_Sinking its shards in you,_

_penetrating deep through to your mind,_

_and leaving scars too deep for any hope of recovery._

_Yes...and all I can do is hope is that maybe one day you'll understand._

_Maybe a time will come where this will all finally come together and make sense for a person like you._

_As for now,_

_please don't keep brewing hatred and anger at the world around you, out of what is only natural fear._

_And do not despise what you're only too frightened to understand._

The space in front of, behind, and to the sides of me was painted a sheer and empty black. It went on for what felt like forever, and yet, I felt so compacted from where I stood on swaying feet.

My balance was almost lost for a moment, though I'm not sure where I would have fallen. There was not even ground supporting my weak and wobbly stature. It was just me, with my hands pieced apart, almost recoiling at the fear that someone or something would reach out and snatch me away into the darkness.

Instead of questioning my odd surroundings, I was only curious to know who it was that was talking to me.

My head lifted to the sound of that familiar voice I could faintly recall hearing ages ago, back inside the Egg Carrier. It was when I was lingering in a state between sleep and awake, not quite sure what it was I was hearing, not knowing if it was my imagination or not.

It was a soft, feminine coo of a voice that seemed more fit to belong to a child rather than a grown adult. But for a child, this embodiment seemed to hold more wisdom and composure than I could ever comprehend, and preached it ten times better too.

But I wasn't in the mood to be preached to. Not now at least.

"...Who are you?" I finally said, my own tone dropping an octave or two out of uncertainty. But disregarding that, I noticed my body's strength had finally returned back to its initiative state. I wasn't sputtering my words out like a fool from the cold or numbing pain I'd previously experienced. My quivering jaw and muscles were now locked securely in the warmth. In fact, despite the circumstances, I felt relatively normal in this ebony abyss of nothing.

The same voice from before sighed.

"Well, I suppose I'm whatever you choose to see me as," it said gently. "Perhaps a friend, a ghost, a conscience, a stranger, or an enemy..."

My lips pursed. "Perhaps you could be all five," I said quickly and bitterly, my eyes moving in directions that I couldn't pick apart. "And maybe I would know for sure if I could at least see your face."

I found myself taking a step forward. "So come out," I challenged, even though paranoia was raking ever so delicate chills down my spine.

"Come out and show yourself."

Again, the voice breathed out heavily.

"Oh, Rachel..."

My heart stung somewhere in my chest at the sound of my name, and at how crisply it'd been spoken.

It sounded weird and almost foreign, yet held this nostalgia that ripped apart the stitching of all my fondest memories. Memories of my childhood, of Earth's environment and sweet air, my long forgotten aspirations, the fading images of my family and friends, were all re-saturating and bobbing back to the surface.

I looked down at my chest, noticing how my body seemed to be aglow. I could see it even though this dimension lacked any source of light.

Looking at it now, I was no longer reminded of its intended owner, but instead of someone who was of my own flesh and blood. My grandfather.

I fondled with the blue charm on my necklace, brushing my fingertips past the lustrous stone.

The voice then giggled.

I looked up immediately, eyes squinting.

"Ahaha, my my, you really do take comfort in the smallest things," it noted playfully between short gusted laughs. "Something like that both amuses me, but...I suppose it saddens me as well. After all, it shows that you've been through quite a lot, doesn't it? So much that even the tiniest thing is reassuring, as long as it isn't your impending doom."

I didn't give an answer. My mouth stayed pressed shut, my hand not leaving the pearly little heart. I didn't like how this girl was able to see me, and tell what I was feeling just from the way I poked at a necklace, while my eyes were straining ahead at a completely blank canvas.

"And while I'd like to say that it's all over, that the pain will subdue, and everything will be okay now..." the voice said again, this time speaking solemnly.

"To do so would be telling a lie."

My grip on the necklace fell, and my eyes darted ahead.

"I really don't need you, whoever you are, to tell me that," I said.

"Of course it won't be okay. I'd be stupid to think otherwise. It's clear as day...the fact that my life will never be quite the same again. Clear as the day I haven't seen in God knows how long," I spat, with poison oozing out of my words.

"I'm pretty sure that the normal life I'd grown into was ripped away the moment I stepped into Westopolis alone on that dark, rainy night. Either when I was attacked by the four men, or when I was saved by..._by_..."

I struggled with my words. The feeling of something thick built around my tear ducts. It didn't feel like I was about to cry, but something was stemming from my emotions, and it was so strong that it had reached the tender corners of my eyes and stained them with immense pressure.

All was silent for a moment or too.

"When Shadow saved your life," the voice finished for me.

I only chewed on the inside of my lip, looking down at my feet quietly as she went on.

"You know, even if your blood had not been spilt that night, a part of you would have been killed by those attackers regardless. I think we both know you're not very keen to withstanding trauma. And trauma would have certainly been inflicted had the Ultimate Life Form not answered to your distant cry."

I found myself nervously tearing my lip apart with the force of my upper teeth. "I guess so...but to compare one night of terror to...oh however long I've been here...perhaps nearly a year of terror, is what makes it all the more debatable. It's like choosing the lesser of two evils...and it's what makes me question my trust in that hedgehog every time I do so much as think of his name."

Something in me was wondering why I was confiding so readily into a person I didn't know, or couldn't even physically see for that matter. But if felt good to say my troubles out loud, as if some of the weight was being lifted with my words.

"If there's any case where there are two evils," the voice said, "it would be between Shadow the Hedgehog, and _you_, Rachel Tower."

My head rose at once.

"Huh? Excuse me?" I asked defensively, suddenly feeling betrayed by whoever was listening. "What is it you're implying?"

"That you are evil," she said casually, as if it was more of a common fact rather than an insult. "Or, you can sometimes be at least. But that's okay. After all, everyone has a little evil in them. And some are more upfront about it than others."

The voice suddenly felt like it had drawn closer.

"You might want to say that evil resides more-so in Shadow as opposed to you, making you the, as you said, lesser. But tell me, how many lives have you saved in your sixteen years of existence, Miss Tower?"

And now, it was standing in front of me. I wasn't given much time to answer. Maybe in a second I could have given a number or name, but I used that second instead to think about it quietly.

"Because that's exactly what he did. He did it thrice before, and now he has done it again. The ratio continues on bent and unbalanced, and yet you decide to be the one who cannot trust him."

I backed away slowly, my fingers falling from the necklace.

"...I may be wrong but, I think you know something that I don't...And you're trying to drop some not so subtle hints," I said carefully. "He's done _it_ again? How do you know that?"

"Yes," the voice answered, throwing me off entirely before it calmly went on.

"I know that Shadow surrendered you to Sonic the Hedgehog's friend so you could be brought home. So you wouldn't die out there amongst the ice and stars, where he would ultimately be held responsible. The outcome is, he's actually responsible for the reason that you are here, right now, sunken somewhere deep into your much needed slumber, safe and out of harm's way. He kept you alive, Rachel. Why have you failed to realize that?"

My recollections were so faint. Earlier, I had been so concentrated on pain, that the situation and Shadow's actions throughout it had not even crossed my mind.

But this voice was right. In a way, he had saved me.

He dropped me right into Knuckles' arms. I remembered the change in atmosphere and sensations...my senses were reading the memory back to me.

I blinked sharply.

Even though it was just in my head, thinking out the scenario didn't make any sense. And I myself couldn't help but be disbelieving of it.

"Listen, Rachel...I'm not asking you to like Shadow," the voice said after I made no other remark.

"But I'm asking you to not hate him."

A pale brown hand then moved forward out of the black towards my face, turned over with the palm up, as if expecting me to take it into my own grasp.

I didn't move away. I only stared back at it in pure shock.

"Please, Rachel. Don't hate anymore. Not after all that he's done. You shouldn't remain enemies like this forever."

Another sigh rang out, this time in fractured echoes.

"He was once my friend, you know. We were very, very close. I learned a lot from him, as he did from me. He even thinks about me from time to time, though it seems to hurt him.

Nonetheless, I know that he's capable of good beyond what some could ever grasp. You're one of those people, just because you're currently incapable of seeing it or accepting it. But it's not impossible. So please...change that. It would be for your own good. You should treat everything you've encountered as a learning experience, to build you to be stronger than who you were before. And one lesson is to never, ever be so-"

She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence, because I had bravely reached forward and locked my grip firmly around the hand's soft wrist, then yanked it towards me with a frustrated, almost frightened cry.

To my surprise, a full body came along with it, pulled straight out of the wispy black. I stopped myself from screaming.

A bright, beaming face, framed by sepia dipped hair that sat cupped in a brown headband, smiled back at me warmly, whilst batting its deep chestnut colored eyes.

"...Blind," she finished proudly.

And then it moved away. The feeling of flesh in my hand disintegrated, and I was left alone in the black.

I had recognized the face the second it came into view. My pulse throbbed loudly in my eardrums as I stood there frozen in total surprise.

Reality then clicked once again. I blinked several times, then reached forward in protest, mouth hanging wide open.

"Hey! Wait! Come back!"

But something very odd happened right then and there.

_This is who you are..._

The thoughts forced their way through me. My arm reeled back and I grabbed both sides of my head in fear, feeling the voice from before bounce around in whispers that came from within my brain rather than outside it.

_This place, it represents you._

I stopped breathing, and instead held the air tight in my chest until I felt I would burst.

_A place as black as your heart._

_A world for the blind..._

_And it's all you are now._

_And all you'll ever be._

I could take it no longer. I collapsed down to my knees and let out a piercing shriek.

* * *

><p><strong>(Travis' POV)<strong>

The entire living room was now bathed in a brilliant tinted lighting, as the Chaos Emerald spawned its sparkling glow. It was strong enough to set all of its surroundings on jade colored fire, right down to the pigment in our glassy eyes.

Everyone was gaping at the object like it was a bomb seconds away from exploding. Mom and Dad immediately shot up from the couch and backed away, cowering towards the dining room area together.

"Oh my God..." Dad breathed out as he bumped into the dining table, rattling all the unused dishes atop it. He suddenly latched onto his wife and pulled her close. They both held the same, cowardly expression, sharing the fear mutually like it was two ends of the same stick.

He repeated it again, in a long, breathless clatter. "Oh my God..."

Emma and I remained where we were on different sides of the room. She didn't look as shocked as I or anyone else. Her mouth remained closed, body completely rigid, green shadows dancing around in the highlights of her hair. She almost seemed _too_ calm and silent, like she was in a state of pure shock.

I was the only one who took it upon myself to move closer to the luminescent jewel. I wasn't intimidated by it at all. In fact, it was actually kind of... _mesmerizing. _

Grandpa's eyes met mine, and a smile suddenly lifted his stiffened features.

Now, I was right in front of him. Just he and I, in the center of the room, with the Emerald glowing between us. My head turned up to stare into it deeply, and a strange feeling suddenly pricked my heart. The swirls of neon color swam around within its glass walls, with spinning shadows and iridescent prisms that grew brighter towards the middle.

I wasn't sure what it was that urged me to take a chance and do it, but when I noticed my grandfather was holding the Emerald still, I lifted one slightly shaking finger up and pressed it against the smooth surface.

"Travis," Mom whimpered anxiously.

Grandpa was apparently ignoring the nervousness in her tone, seeing as he kept his attention locked solely on me and my interaction with the magical jewel.

"It's okay, son," he coaxed gently. "It won't hurt you."

And it was true. The Chaos Emerald didn't burn or shock me in retaliation with my touch. Instead, it was only warm, with a slight prickle that ran in sparks down through my tendons. The green lights seemed to bundle against the area where my finger lye, from the other side, in a never ending twirl of energetic ecstasy.

_"Travis!"_ Mom yelled in a shrill cry.

I broke the contact and moved my hand away, watching as the clumped lights suddenly cut away from the side and went back to spinning around with their neighboring particles.

I looked up at my Grandpa, and saw that he was wide-eyed, with the Emerald's glare flickering in his eyes.

"Oh...I see..." he said quietly.

"So, you inherited the gene after all."

I only gaped back at him curiously.

_What is he even talking about?_

Emma stepped forward out of the comfort of her shaded corner, gaze still lost and transfixed off into space.

"What gene?" she asked, her distant voice quivering softly.

This time, Mom and Dad both gained the courage to draw near us.

"Father, what's going on here?" Dad asked him, gingerly reaching a hand forward towards the aura of the powerful jewel, but drawing it back almost immediately. "Why do you have this...this..._thing_ here in your house?"

This time, Grandpa suddenly pried the gem back and held it beneath his face so that it set a hazy glow under his chin. He didn't answer the question right away. Instead, he looked down at me again.

"Travis, tell me, do you feel anything odd when you look at, or come into contact with this here Chaos Emerald?"

I looked back at him dumbfounded, not sure where he was going with this. First he mentioned something about genetics, which was something I barely knew about seeing as I was only in the fourth grade, and now he was asking about if anything in me reacted to it. Everything was sinking in at such a snail rate, it still took time to catch up with the details. I finally hacked up an answer.

"...I-I don't know...why? Should I?"

This time, my grandfather broke the intense silence with a long, hearty chuckle. I could see from the side that Mom and Dad had exchanged a glance upon hearing him, as if they were afraid he'd completely lost his mind. To them, this was far from a laughing matter. To them, this was incredibly serious. Dangerous even.

Though I'm sure neither of them knew what kind of danger it was exactly that put any of us at risk.

But grandpa's giggles subsided almost as quickly as they had started.

"That's a very good question, Travis. Should you? Or better yet, why would you?"

He then held the Emerald back out and turned it over and over between his frail fingers.

"I'm not so sure about that myself...I was told that there's some sort of wave frequency that radiated from its power. A power that affected my DNA as a child, because of all the experiments and the gases they produced lingering about in the atmosphere I had been living in. The energy of Chaos, forcibly melded with other elements, produced something strong enough to, upon my exposure, literally affect my core."

He smiled. "And you do indeed have a reaction with it. Meaning your genetic makeup might contain the mutation, and it's something you would've inherited from me."

He held it forward towards my face before I had time to soak in even an ounce of what he'd just said.

"Touch the side of it again."

This time, I found myself catching up with reality. Instead of obeying him immediately, I grew hesitant. A lump lodged its way into my throat.

"A mutation?" I asked almost in fear. "Does that mean...I'm like a monster or something?"

This time, Dad stepped over and grabbed me by the shoulder, pulling me to the side.

"Travis. Don't go anywhere near that Emerald thing again," he instructed angrily.

His wildly frightened, yet also enraged eyes fell upon the elder still standing innocently in the center of the living room.

"What exactly is going on in your head?!" he demanded. "Our son is perfectly fine! What is it you're trying to accomplish? Because you're...you're _scaring_ all of us, Dad!"

Mom then walked forward, hand over her chest.

"Exactly what kind of mutation are we talking about here?!" she squealed out in horror. "Because I very well remember Travis' birth, and there was nothing reportedly wrong with him, or his DNA! Same with his sister, who, might I add, is his twin! So how can he be affected whereas she wasn't! Where's the logic in that!"

Grandpa had visibly no reaction to being shouted at by the people he loved the most. He only sighed through his nose, looking down at the Chaos Emerald, and widely mouthing the words 'Fraternal Twins'.

"And another thing, how long have you had that!" she went on ignorantly, gesturing to it. "How long has it been in that couch, right underneath our asses! Why are you pulling it out into the open now, of all times!"

Suddenly, our heads all lifted when a sharp odor lurked about the air. Mom's nose wrinkled and she sniffed carefully, looking towards the kitchen and noticing that there was black smoke pouring out in thick clouds from beyond the swinging panel doors. Her eyes widened immediately.

"Oh god, the lasagna!" she cried, running away from us and diving through the smoke.

Her coughing was heard right away, then the sound of an oven being pried open and drawers being prodded through, possibly in search of a towel, or maybe even an extinguisher if our ex-dinner was actually on fire.

Dad reluctantly stared back at his father before turning around to head off in the same direction.

"Splendid, Dad! Really, a big bravo to you!" he yelled. "If you're not revealing these crazy secrets, you're trying to burn the house down! Keep this up and you'll be the one to get us all killed!"

He then trotted off into the smoke without another word.

It was silent after that. Just me, stumbling to keep up with the situation and everything building up to it, all the while staring into the Chaos Emerald like I'd been struck by a trance, and Emma, awkwardly tip toeing at a rounded angle around the room, as if avoiding said gem.

Grandpa breathed heavily.

"And Rachel, too."

Emma stopped dead in her tracks, gaping back at our grandfather from behind her tangled mess of hair.

I too shot him a hard look of wonder.

He sniffled, his grasp on the Chaos Emerald suddenly loosening as his curled fingers began shaking violently.

"Perhaps she has that gene as well..."

The Emerald began to tip out of its hand, the shadows all around the room shifting in correspondence.

"That would explain..." his eyes creased shut and his head dropped. "...so many things."

And then it fell. The Chaos Emerald toppled from the security of him palm and fell down to the wood floor with a loud clank.

"Such as how Shadow the Hedgehog was drawn to her, and only her. Both here, and on that train."

I ended up ignoring the fallen jewel, and glared at my grandfather, a soft gasp pulling past my mouth.

"Is that...your theory or something?" I asked in a shaking voice.

I noticed that clear liquid was now leaking from both his eyes, his thin lips pursing and loosening.

"No. Because I'm ninety-nine percent sure it's the truth..."

His eyes then shut completely, forcing out whatever water had been sauntering behind them.

"God help her," he said brokenly.

* * *

><p><strong>(Shadow's POV)<strong>

It was beginning to physically hurt. The way these shameful thoughts were tossing around inside my head until they left me sore in the temples. The more I tried to relax, the more tense I became. I tried everything in my power to shove my emotions aside, and forget about what just happened.

Forget about what I just _did._

I tried concentrating on anything that could distract me and lead my attention elsewhere. I looked rigidly out the window towards the snowy ground, where its glittering textures were becoming more and more faint as the Egg Carrier rose up into the black sky.

I then looked up at the ceiling towards the lights, which had returned to their previous white color after the power was switched back on.

After that, my eyes darted to my own two feet. There was nothing reportedly interesting about them, but I ended up forcibly captivating myself with the design and colors.

I wanted to run. Oh, how I wanted to run so badly.

But then, everything would blur. And then there would be nothing worth looking at.

I would then have no choice but to delve back into my own thoughts.

So I walked slower, and slower, still fixing my gaze heavily on the shoes, and then at the floor paneling, and then at the long hallway ahead.

But no matter what I looked at, it still wouldn't go away.

All I could think was, she's gone.

She's gone now.

Gone.

Gone...

I couldn't shake it off. Everything I tried to focus on, no matter the shape or color, I was only reminded once again of that human girl's absence. I was reminded of how it was my own fault, and I'm sure that's what ate away at me more than anything.

There wasn't a single word I could use to explain my emotions at this point. I was permanently locked in this mood that I didn't even know was capable of existing. It was like when I would constantly reminisce about Maria Robotnik. Except this time, something hurt a little bit harder, and in a different way, in knowing that this girl was unreachable, but not because she was dead.

She was still out there somewhere. She was going to return to Earth and live on, go about with her constant hatred, and try her hardest to forget me and everything that happened in the past six months. Treat it like it was all one long, horrible nightmare. Where she was the defenseless damsel, and I the terrifying monster who tried to kill her and everything she held dearest.

And sooner or later, she would be able to trick herself into believing it never happened at all.

My brain started stabbing through its files, in search of any word I could possibly use to sum up everything that I was feeling. Because right now, it felt like I was being bled dry by my own self torture.

The only word that kept coming up was vulnerable.

Vulnerable, vulnerable, vulnerable.

_You are vulnerable, Shadow the Hedgehog. _

_And you should be ashamed of yourself._

_No._ I insisted. _Vulnerability translates to weakness. And I know I am not weak. I'm not. I...I couldn't be. Never._

I then stopped right there, realizing suddenly how heavy my breathing had become.

_Maybe I'm just weak when the situation regards Rachel._

It hurt to let her name slip by my mind, even if it was only once. It made me think about everything once again. Just those six letters and two syllables. Capable of bringing me right down to my knees.

I looked straight ahead with an iron glare.

_I think that maybe, it's time I pay a much needed visit to the Doctor._

_Only he will know what to do now._

And with that, I started off in the same direction, cautious to now look no where but at what was in front of me. Because now, I realized that I had subconsciously wandered into the B-sectioned area. And right about now, I was possibly passing the very room I dreaded to see.

My heart burned hotter and hotter. I could feel myself going by it.

But I went no where near that door. It took everything I was made of not to barge into that room, filled with anger and the strangest _desire._

But then I would expect to find her.

Sleeping,

sitting,

sighing,

singing,

seething.

Anything.

I would want to step towards her and release everything I was holding in. Through words, through actions, through anything that offered relief.

See her flash that smile that was almost as rare as mine.

And that glisten in her eyes would spark once again.

But she wasn't there.

Just the four walls and floor.

So I kept on going.

Going.

And going some more.

**(Rachel's POV)**

Everything was milky white for a good second and a half.

"Huh...Guys...look! She's moving!" a girlish voice shouted, sending a painful shock-wave ricocheting through my eardrums.

I stirred a bit more, mumbling nonsense.

"Hm. And it sounds like she's trying to speak too," another one said, except this voice was roughly edged like that of a male's.

The seam of my eyelashes finally parted, allowing light to pour into my already sore and pulsating eyeballs. Everything was just a mess of colors. Some red, pink, blue, and a hint of yellowish orange. But then I blinked several times, so that the abstract forms suddenly thinned and compacted together, creating actual bodies.

My shoulders hunched as I struggled to sit up straight, but instead found myself bound by thick leather strips.

"Hey, relax," a soft voice said.

My tired focus arched up, only to find Sonic the Hedgehog looking back at me, wearing a relaxed, reassuring expression.

"You're safe now," he coaxed. "You don't have to worry anymore. No one's going to hurt you here."

Amy appeared next to the idolized hedgehog before I had a chance to utter a response. In her hand was a dainty white cup.

"It's so good to see you awake, dear! You must be thirsty! I know it's probably been a long time since you last had a decent beverage. So would you like some tea?" she asked, her jade eyes flickering with empathy.

"It's freshly brewed. I thought you may need something to warm you up."

Without thinking, I fought against my binds again, this time poking my shaking arms out between their cross hatches to hungrily accept the drink. Inside the cup, I could see a clear, golden liquid steaming and bubbling as it sloshed against the porcelain walls.

My fingers reached out and brushed against the cup's edges, and Amy's grip on it started to cease and allow the object to fall into my own grasp. Except, she quickly scrambled to catch it, as I had snatched my hands back with a quiet yelp after having been stung by the hot surface.

A few beads of tea dripped down the sides of the cup as Amy cradled it back to herself, eyes wide and fixed on me. "Oh gosh, I'm so sorry! I suppose you're still defrosting from earlier...so it probably feels hotter to you than it does me. Gee, didn't think about that now did I."

She stepped away from both me and Sonic, who was eyeing her with a small hint of annoyance, as she shifted to the side of him.

"I'll just set that down here and let it cool," she said, lowering out of view. There was the sound of a clank, and she rose back up empty handed.

"Is there anything else you might need?" she asked quickly. "I mean you are cold still, so how about a coat to cover yourself with? Or a fluffy pillow to rest your head?"

"Amy, just leave her alone," Knuckles said tiredly from behind her.

I found myself looking up at him, as he hovered around what looked like the inside of a cockpit, where Tails was sitting, handling some complicated controls.

"Give her a chance to breathe."

Amy sighed, turning her back away. "I guess you're right. My bad," she said shamefully, marching off to what looked like an airplane passenger seat. One that I noticed, was incredibly similar to mine.

I looked down at the strips again and pulled at them gently, suddenly realizing that it was in fact a seat belt. So I _was_ in a seat just like hers.

"I can only imagine how confused you are. You must have a lot of questions," Sonic said, stepping closer, but making sure to keep comfortable distance.

I eyed him, trying my hardest to smile, but I couldn't find it in me to muster up even the tiniest and most pathetic of smirks.

"And I take it you have all the answers?" I asked, more hopefully than factually.

He laughed softly. "Possibly. I'll try the best I can."

Before anything else was said, my eyes rolled down to the seat belt again. For whatever reason, it was a bit too tight for my liking, as if it was restricting my breathing. My fingers traced across my lap until they reached a button that connected to the belts. I pushed it, and with a click, they unfastened and swept past my stomach in a vicious motion back into their hidden compartments.

One scratched across my abdomen a little too harshly, and managed to slice against the damaged skin of my scar.

It was too late for me to attempt maintaining the little jolt of pain. I hissed quietly, bringing one arm around the area as if to keep contents from seeping out of the already healed cut.

Sonic gave me a look that shot a million questions. But his mouth only spoke one.

"Hey, why did you just-"

"I'm sorry," I cut him off immediately, my facial muscles tight as the sharp pain began to die down. "I just felt...I don't know, constricted by those straps. I felt like I needed more room to move..."

"No," he answered, gesturing to my wound arm. "You seem like you're hurt."

I just stared back at him blankly, unsure of where to even begin with that light, understatement of a word.

"It's coming from your stomach, isn't it?" he said with genuine care.

He knelt down on one knee, nose pointed to wear the hidden scar lye, and raised one hand slightly.

"Mind if I check?"

At first, my mouth only hung open, as I waited for a response to find its way through my windpipe. But instead, my eyes widened, and I gasped out loud.

_"Lift up your shirt so I can see it," he said._

_I knew I wouldn't get anywhere by resisting, and carefully brought my hands down to the hem of my shirt, hesitantly tugging it halfway up so that my torso was visible. My eyes suddenly pulled away from Shadow's after he had dropped his own to inspect the scar._

_I could see that he felt guilty._

_It was written all over his face._

"Nnn-" I choked up, my eyes squeezing shut as the sickening dizziness shot through my head like a bullet.

Sonic's eyes turned down.

"Is everything okay?"

His hovering hand suddenly made its way towards me, specifically my shoulder, as if to give me a reassuring pat.

I tensed up again.

_"Chaos Spear!"_

_All my senses went dead. The pain faded away and was replaced by a warm, numbing feeling. The last thing I remember was stumbling forward and collapsing right on the spot. But instead of hitting the floor, something caught me in mid-air._

"Please stop," I said quickly, shooing him away with an open palm.

"I'm sorry, Sonic, but...please,"

I gritted my teeth, fighting back the wandering memories. I couldn't conceal the hostility in my tone.

"Please get away from me."

The next look on the cobalt hedgehog's face said it all. He looked downright betrayed, and I couldn't blame him. What with him having gone through Hell and back to rescue me, and now being under the impression that I lacked trust in him. I never imagined such a single expression of hurt could kill me so much.

Oh, how I wanted to tell them all about what happened to me. How I wanted to go on a nonstop ramble from start to finish, inform him of all the neglect, the occasional abuse, even the security offered by a certain dark hero, and the wicked romance that he provided somewhere in between.

But I couldn't. I just kept it bottled up, compacted deep in my head and heart.

As much as I wanted to tell them, I couldn't. I simply refused to.

It would hurt too much. And the last thing I wanted was to feel anymore pain...specifically the kind that trails in emotion.

I knew I would never forget everything, but I felt it better, also, if they just never knew.

Despite how the twinging muscles in Sonic's face displayed how deceptive he thought I was being, he still held this faint look of understanding. He could never come close to comprehending even a fraction of what it was that I endured, both the good and bad. But he thought he did. He thought he had it all figured out. And to me, that's all that really mattered.

"It's fine. I get it," he assured me, "I really do. If you don't feel it's the right time to talk about it, I'll respect that."

He turned around and looked at Knuckles, who was leaning against the wall with an agreeable smirk, and then Amy, who flashed a bright, bubbly grin. As if to make me feel...I don't know...more at home I suppose.

I was able to smile this time in return. A real, big, content smile.

But it couldn't have been anymore forced.

I just tried reminding myself over and over that I was here, and that I had made it this far. I was now in the care of Sonic and his friends, and more than likely we were going back to Earth and would be there in a matter of time.

But what really helped the smile build was the reaction of amusement to Sonic's claim.

He really had not a single clue.

"Amy," I said calmly, leaning forward and taking a moment to look out the framed window, towards the clusters of stars and the black nebula residing behind it. The darkness of it reminded me of some place I may have been before, but I couldn't put a finger on it.

I didn't dally on it any longer. When I turned back and saw the red of her dress at the edge of my vision, I sighed tiredly.

"May I have the tea now? I'm ready to drink it."

She didn't answer me out loud, but I knew what her response was when she quickly fluttered by in a rush of valentine colors, and snatched the cup ever so carefully off whatever she'd set it on, bringing it towards me.

The remaining steam in it seemed to have misted away. I couldn't distinguish any vapor rising from within the cup. Therefore, it was ready for consumption.

She placed it in my two curled hands, which were still a bit frostbitten, but not nearly as horrendously frozen as they'd been earlier. The warm porcelain settled against the grooves of my palm, as I brought the drink carefully towards my mouth.

I glanced inside the cup at the amber fluid splashing around. An invisible tail of scent slithered under my nose and implanted a strong smell that was both sugary with a little touch of spice.

I briefly reflected back on Sonic's recent words, before holding the cup to my lip and tipping the tea down into the dry cavern of my mouth.

_It will never be the right time to talk about it._

**(Shadow's POV)**

"Ah, I was waiting to see how long it would take before you showed up here," the old, mustachioed scientist sighed with his back facing me. "And it's about time, too."

He was still sitting in his chair, typing away like he always did. It was almost like he'd been absent for the catastrophe that had just happened, and was completely oblivious to our setbacks. Because he did nothing to show urgency or disappointment. It was unbelievable.

I myself still didn't know what to say, or better yet what to even do. I knew Eggman was upset. He had yet to look me in the face, after everything in this ordeal had played out. Somehow, he seemed to know it was me the moment the doors slid open and shut. And now I was waiting to receive his criticism, even if it was delayed.

Then the wheels in his chair creaked loudly. The seat did a full three-sixty so that he slowly and painfully came around and glared at me from behind the heavy tinting of his indigo spectacles.

"So tell me..." he started out slowly, in a voice that was almost to casual to be bought completely, "...how does it feel?"

My fists were tempted to close, but I kept them plastered against my sides. Now I knew for sure that the scolding was coming, although I wasn't sure how brutal it would be, or what the ending outcome would be.

My goal from the start had been to obtain Eggman's Chaos Emerald, along with the ones I had collected so far. But in some strange parallel way, I was feeling too drained to threaten his life over them. I was too drained to do anything at all.

So if he decided to go back on the deal and keep them all for himself...I didn't even know what to do.

"How does what feel?" I finally asked, my attitude spiking.

His face remained expressionless. It was somehow more intimidating than his usual sadistic grin. Because now, he was unreadable. It was impossible to see what it was he was thinking crypted into the structure of his eyes and mouth.

"How does it feel to have single-handedly screwed everything up?" he said. "Yes. You're just a little furry timebomb, aren't you? Simply an accident waiting to happen."

I frowned at him. "Alright. You can throw your petty insults at me as much as you desire," I stated calmly in an effort to keep my fury at bay. I crossed my arms and slanted my gaze off to the side. "But they mean nothing to me. So it's pointless."

Then, this glint of emotion sliced across the Doctor's features. His hand snaked across his armrest, where there were a series of iris-sized buttons.

"Ah, but the real question is...what_ is_ meaningful to you?"

His index finger gently mashed a bright yellow one, and suddenly, every monitor hanging above his controls burst into a blue glow of rippling static. The lighting effect caused his form to become a dark silhouette contrasting against the pixel storms flashing behind him.

"Because it seems..." he said slowly, jabbing at another unseen button so that the monitors emitted a squeaking sound, and replaced the static with actual frozen images taken from different camera angles, each passing by in milliseconds.

"What you should care about is this," he said, quickly clicking something so that one of the screens stopped on one particular picture.

It was an image of me, clutching the red Chaos Emerald, looking off into another direction.

"Those Emeralds," he clarified, turning slightly to gesture at the subjected computer. "Were the reason for this whole mission. The reason behind the collaboration between you and I."

His hand fell and coiled back to his body, his face hardening.

"They are also the reason why we took a hostage in the first place. They were the center of all your ambitions, which, might I add, you have never revealed to anyone including me."

He then gritted his teeth angrily.

"And for whatever reason, they seem to have completely lost their value to you! Because of your stupid tactics, and failure to heed my commands, two of those sought after jewels are now in the hands of my biggest enemy!"

My head suddenly snapped up. My defensive nature kicked in.

"I beg your pardon, but I believe it's my stupid tactics that got us this far!"

"But they also set us back quite a distance," he interrupted, which angered me even more.

He leaned forward, raised his arm and made an incomplete circle with his thumb and forefinger.

"We were so...so close, Shadow. I don't think you realize this," he stated plainly, drawing the aforementioned fingers closer and closer together so that they nearly touched as he spoke.

"Seeing as my plans for the Super Nova Cannon are free of any evident holes, you could've helped me to create it after all had been said and done," he said, still holding his fingers close, and even bringing them nearer to one another. "All the while, finally having fulfilled your desire of ceasing every last Chaos Emerald across the universe."

His brow creased. "But no, you just couldn't help yourself. You had to ruin all our hard work. You had to become infatuated with a human and mess. Everything. Up."

With each word, his gloved fingers parted in jagged breaks, until they were completely adjacent. Each one hit me harder than the last.

The fury had been unknowingly building, and was now completely boiling over. Without thinking, I pulled my hand back and equipped myself with the strongest Chaos Spear I could muster, flicking my wrist in his direction.

Instead of verbally calling the energy forth, it somehow conjured itself in my palms, shot out at the scientist, and all I did, was grunt loudly.

Eggman quickly scooted his chair to the side with a yelp, and the Chaos Spear soared past him and hit one of the screens. Flickering beams rained out between the broken glass and severed wires.

"YOU SHUT UP!" I shouted in rage. "Do you really think I'm not aware of all this!"

I shot another spear towards him. He managed to evade it once again, and another monitor was smashed.

"Do you think I don't realize that I've made countless mistake after mistake after _mistake_!" I demanded, this time, turning my attention to all those rows and columns of screens. I noticed how the recordings were playing in reverse, playing shuffling pictures of Sonic running down the halls, Bokkun sneaking into a closet and yanking out plugs, Tails landing his aircraft onto the Sky Deck, and me slamming Rouge against a wall.

Instead of shooting anymore of my darts at him, I aimed them all at the monitors, blasting them out one by one.

"It's not my fault!" I yelled. "It's not my fault that I've changed!"

My energy suddenly strengthened, so that I was nearly blowing holes straight through the wall.

"It's not my fault that I've become so human! I didn't plan for this to happen! It's just how I'm programmed!"

Another monitor was wiped out. Sparks shooting out in every which way like white fireworks.

"I was told this would happen..." I seethed. "I was told that as time progressively went on, I would become more and more like an actual person. I would feel emotions that I wasn't made to feel. Unless...unless...I keep close contact with all seven Chaos Emeralds in order to reset the effect and return to my initial settings."

And then another screen exploded with the impact of my Chaos Spear. "I was told this by _your_ grandfather, Eggman!"

Eggman's face had fallen. "Wha-..._Initial settings_?"

He jumped out of his chair, fists balled.

"Shadow, are you out of your mind! _That's_ your reasoning behind getting the Chaos Emeralds? You're daft! Don't you realize how long it's been? Your reaction to such powerful invincibility might wash you out completely. If you do that, you could lose your memories!"

He ducked momentarily as a spear soared over his head and blasted another monitor.

"WHO CARES!" I shouted.

The strangest feeling came over me. It was like water, glazing over my eyes. I ignored it the best I could, and used my blurry focus to zero in on the final screen, which was still idly playing back the recordings.

Dr. Eggman quickly reached over and smashed his whole hand against a button so that the images came to a halt and landed on one specific picture.

My readied hand froze.

"YOU DO!" He cried out, panting with rage.

The screen was a picture of Rachel Tower, looking over her shoulder and staring back at the camera cautiously, green eyes vacant and mouth slightly open.

And then it came out all at once. A pair of heavy tears flowed down my tightened face, my frown still firmly intact as I gaped at her still face.

"You _know_ you don't want to forget her!" The mad scientist declared, pointing a finger in the screen's direction.

"AND, you should probably show more generosity towards the Chaos Emeralds, because they're the reason you've connected with her!"

I couldn't tear my eyes from the ones looking back at me on the screen. But I had heard him loud and clear, and my mouth formed its words like molasses.

"What do you mean..." I asked quietly. Almost silently.

For the first time since I'd entered the room, Eggman lost his crazy scowl and moved it up back into a soft smile.

"All will be explained in due time. So fasten your seatbelt, hedgehog."

He fell back into his chair and flipped it around.

"We're going back to Earth."

* * *

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**(A/N) So guess who saw Wreck it Ralph last night and exploded a little bit more every time Sonic was on screen? (Even if it was for brief moments) Amazing movie, by the way. I recommend you all should see it if you haven't already. I don't usually laugh in movies, but I laughed a lot at this one.**

**Anyways, about the story, I've been struck with the worst writer's block ever. So that's why the quality of my chapters are starting to fall. I hope you still find it to your liking. **

**SYMBOLISM. IT'S EVERYWHERE.**

**You might still have questions about things mentioned here. Like, who was that girl in Rachel's 'dream'. Why didn't she mention it when she woke up, (even in her thoughts). What is this about the Chaos energy and DNA? What's this about Shadow wanting to be 'reset'. Why is the author such a nutcase.**

**Well I will explain as the story nears its close. If you still have questions, everything will be explained in the final author's note. It will just mean I had failed in delivering the information.**

**You can have your own hypothesis as to what the bloody hell is going on.**

**Anways, you can find me on deviantART now. I have yet to draw a picture for this story. But I really want to.**

**Thank you all for reading. Review if you have time. (I might come back and edit this later)**

**Bye bye ~**


	29. Private Nightmare

**(Rachel's POV)**

Drinking tea was like swallowing warm, sugar-coated razors. A stream of painful sparks drizzled against the walls of my throat. But I didn't mind half as much as I would have if the circumstances had been different. The tea was so sweet that it caused me to gag a little. But then I managed to adjust to the taste, realizing the drink wasn't actually overly sweetened. I had just been deprived of any and all existing flavors for months now, reduced to nothing but the taste of those disgusting nutrient bars. Therefore, it was a dramatic shift in my senses.

After gulping down the last of the heated liquid, I pulled the cup back and looked down at the dark, crumbly grains that were left over, before scanning around in search of a place to set it down.

Amy had been sitting with her legs crossed, chatting with Sonic in the seats across from me. She noticed I was finished and quickly jumped up, squeezing past him in the confined space, and hurried over to my side with an outstretched hand.

"I'll take that for you!" she said proudly, flashing a glowing smile. "You really downed that fast. Would you like some more?"

I shook my head slowly, my voice having been temporarily lost in the steam and sugar. She understood, and pried the cup out of my hands, hurrying off down the hall without another word. In her wake, Sonic and I were left alone.

I looked over at the Blue Blur with a slightly dazed look. He noticed the strange imbalance in my expression and cocked his head.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked with empathy, preparing himself to rise from the seat.

I found my head lolling over more in his direction, and was instantly welcomed by a head rush. The outline of his figure was suddenly ornate in the colorful dots that were leaving swirly prisms all over my vision.

"...That's a good question," I answered, my voice slightly hoarse. "I think so. I mean...I'm not in any sort of pain, if that's what you mean. I'm just sort of dizzy all of a sudden."

Sonic looked less concerned and instead laughed at my reply. "It was probably Amy's tea. Not that she would've intentionally poisoned you or anything, but brewing has never been her strong-suit."

Knuckles, who had been looking out a window from his own seat, turned over and chuckled.

"Yeah, and neither is respecting one's personal space. Isn't that right, _Sonikku?_"

Sonic's muzzle reddened at the echidna's joke.

"Darn...I thought that nickname was my own private nightmare. Keep it up, Knuckle-head, and I'll be sure to drown out that red in your spines and add some blue and black to your pallet. How would you like that?"

But just when their banter had started to amuse me, the world suddenly felt like it was swaying back and forth. My eyes sloshed between both Sonic and Knuckles in a teeter-totter segue.

_Red..._

They settled on Knuckles.

_Blue..._

Then bent on over to Sonic.

_...Black..._

the spots adorning my vision formed an eerie constellation, in the shape of a jagged, hedgehog-esque silhouette.

_Private nightmare..._

I suddenly gasped. A jolt of pain stabbed me square in the stomach.

Sonic and Knuckles registered my cry immediately and turned their heads in my direction. By then I was already pressing my arms into my torso, as a familiar sting throbbed against the patch of skin that had been scarred, each plunging sensation weaker than the last.

Sonic noticed right away that I was occupied with my stomach again, and stepped over so that he was in front of me.

"Woah. Rachel, what's going on with you?" he said a little impatiently. "It's your stomach again. You had a similar problem earlier, and I'm sure you have an idea of what it is. Don't you think it'd be best if you showed us, or at least told us what was wrong with you?"

My gaze drifted down to the hem of my shirt. I noted all the little tingles sprouting up from under my skin.

_If only I could check myself alone and without onlookers. It's hard enough dealing with this in Sonic's presence alone, but now Knuckles is staring too._

I knew no good would be done if I kept trying to ignore the issue. My whole body had been on quite a wild ride lately, what with the Chaos energy and then the freezing cold. I felt blessed to still be alive and kicking. But that probably didn't mean I was completely out of the woods yet. The only thing left to do was showcase myself one final time, so we could all try to figure out what the problem was and see if we could solve it. After all, Sonic and the others wouldn't hurt me. They were here to help.

So with a final nip of the lip, I quickly grabbed the bottom of my white t-shirt and pulled it up with fidgety hands.

I was too scared to see the damage for myself, so instead I looked up at the faces of the hedgehog and echidna standing near me, analyzing their reactions. They drew closer for a moment and squinted their eyes, before taking a few steps back and shooting me looks of confusion.

"Hey Knuckles, you need to come in here, quickly," Tails said from within the cockpit area.

The red echidna broke his eye contact with my body and swerved around to enter the opening where the young pilot fox sat at his controls. He made not a single comment in regards to me and my injury. Which I found incredibly odd.

Sonic, on the other hand, went back to examining my stomach, moving his head back and forth as if trying to see it from different angles.

And that's when Amy decided to enter the aisle once again.

"Okay just so everyone knows, I made some extra tea, and I think I did a pretty good job with the recipe. So if any of you are thirsty, feel free to help yourself to some warm, homemade, good old fashioned-"

She caught sight of the scene before her, and nearly busted an artery with the new pulsing rage.

"SONIC THE HEDGEHOG, JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!"

Sonic winced from her shrieks and looked back at the rose-colored hedgehog in shock, where she stood pointing an accusing finger in his direction. For a second I could've sworn there was steam shooting from her ears and nostrils. She was the bull and Sonic was the bright red sheet.

"Here I leave for two seconds...TWO SECONDS, and come back to find you ogling at another girl's waistline! How inappropriate! You should be ashamed of yourself!"

Sonic held his hands up in defense, shaking his head, while my eyes fell down upon the light skin of my stomach.

"A-Amy, no! It isn't like that at all! I swear it's completely, one-hundred percent-"

"Bare," I finished for him, feeling my heart race.

"Exactly! Bare!" Sonic declared, waving his palms nervously, only to enrage his younger self-proclaimed lover even more. But then his raised hands drooped, and he looked back over his shoulder at me. "Oh yeah...bare...speaking of which...what exactly is the problem? You look fine to me."

My hands locked up and quivered whilst hovering right over my navel. I then dipped a fingertip down and traced it over my abdomen with careful precision.

He was right. There was nothing there.

The scar was gone. Completely gone.

The skin looked like it had never been torn or touched by anyone or anything, ever. It looked good as new.

I wasn't sure whether to be happy, or afraid for my life.

"N-No..." I said quietly. "That's not...that can't be...that's not possible..."

I suddenly slammed my hands down over the skin, pushing against it with all my might as I wailed out in hopeless confusion.

"NO! How can it just disappear! Seriously...how! What kind of voodoo sorcery is this! It can't just heal in an instant after having been there for so long!"

The affected area responded with a dull ache against the pressure. But it was no where near as severe as it'd been since before the moment I boarded the X Tornado.

Amy's fury had died down to barely burning embers. She approached me carefully, attempting to shoo Sonic away, but he only budged slightly before moving forward along with her in curiosity.

"What do you mean 'disappear'? Was there something there before, Rachel? Were you hurt?"

"Damn straight I was!" I cried out, earning back shared expressions of shock from both Sonic and Amy.

I wanted to tell them what was going on. I wanted to explain everything. How the scar had gotten there, why it had gotten there, how there indeed WAS a scar to begin with. But doing so much as mentioning Shadow's name in my thoughts was too overwhelming. So I quick spat as many vague details as I could muster.

"I-I...I was injured while on the Egg Carrier. Injured badly," I said.

"There was a big gash right here, and it was this long," I said, spreading my thumb and fore-finger out across my stomach to insinuate the length. "Since then, the wound closed over, but it still hurt every now and again, and it NEVER fully healed. I'm not making it up! I swear I...I'm..."

I suddenly yanked my shirt back down and crossed my arms across my torso. The last thing I wanted was to be obscure with them. And I didn't want them to think I was lying to get their attention. But the subject was getting a bit too heavy for me to bear. I looked up at Sonic with pleading eyes, hoping that he'd understand my sudden insecurity and let the topic drop.

But instead, he furrowed his brows at me, as if in anger. I cut my irises away, but then felt the hedgehog carefully grab my chin and move my face back in his direction.

"Rachel..." he said, concentrating, his pupils piercing through mine like daggers.

I felt my cheeks flush in embarrassment. He was getting far too close. I felt like I was under a microscope.

"No...Sonic-"

"Rachel...Your eye...!"

My expression quickly dropped.

"Wait. Huh?"

He paid no attention to me and instead repeated himself once more.

"Your eye!"

Without looking, he summoned Amy with the wavering motion of his finger. Together they both knelt down and gave my face their full attention.

I suddenly felt very uncomfortable, and twisted my face away.

"Please stop," I stated, moving my head away in order to cover as much distance as possible. "What's wrong? What about my eye?"

Sonic looked flabbergasted. He pointed towards the left side of my face.

"That eye! Your left eye!" he exclaimed. "The colored part has turned a lighter shade of green than the other one. _Way_ lighter! It wasn't like that before, was it? I don't think it could have gone without noticing, though. They were definitely both the same!"

I suddenly turned in his direction, slowly, in complete awe and disbelief.

"L-Lighter..?" I said, my voice's volume cutting from audible to a hushed, near trembling whisper.

Amy jumped back, eyes wide with horror, a hand flying over her mouth.

"You're right...it...it wasn't like that before..." she said, her words muffled against her gloved palm. "Oh my, that is so bizarre!"

She then stepped away and scurried over to where she and Sonic had been sitting previously. She dove her arm in between the cushioned seats, digging around a little, before pulling out a dusty, heavily scratched-up mirror.

"I told myself I wouldn't use this for the whole trip, since it just makes me self-conscious at times," she admitted, nearing me once again. "But you need to see for yourself. Here, take it."

She handed me the mirror carefully, not taking her eyes off me.

I broke eye contact with her, and with Sonic, and looked down at the mirror in my hands, lifting it slightly so the lighting hit it just right, and my reflection was plastered before me, gawking back.

It was an odd feeling, seeing my own face. I had seen myself once before in Eggman's bathroom, but I never took the time to note the difference in my features compared to the day I was kidnapped. My face was once again darkened by grit and layered in several shades of exhaustion, my lips pale and hair tangled into a labyrinth twisting every which way, in directions that defied gravity.

And then my eyes.

Besides the look of sheer depression that had tainted their brightness, the biggest difference lye in the unbalanced color.

Indeed, my left eye was much, much lighter now. A more bright, neon, electrifying sort of green.

I blinked several times, lifted a hand and rubbed the afflicted eye over and over so that it rolled around in the socket. But when I removed my hand and looked back, it was still a brighter, and extremely saturated color.

What in the actual hell was happening to me.

"You know what?" Amy said, inching closer. "I must say, the color really reminds me of one of the Chaos Emeralds. Same tint and everything. Even looks like it's glowing a little. How does something like that happen?"

My heart pounded harder. My eyes glazed over and the reflection became a blur.

Knuckles suddenly stepped out of the cockpit and panned his eyes across the lot of us.

"Listen everyone. We're not sure why, but Tails is getting some strong readings from his radar. Besides the focal points on the two Chaos Emeralds we have, it says there's another source of Chaos Energy coming from inside the X Tornado. We're not exactly sure where since the signal isn't pinpointed bu-"

I jumped out of my seat dramatically.

"Where's the bathroom," I said in a constricted tone. I could feel my face flushing with sickly green. Something within me felt like it was bubbling. Not in a painful way, but boy did it make me nauseous.

Amy jotted a thumb towards the back of the aisle.

"The Lady's Room is down there and to the left. Is everything fine? Do you need help with something?"

I clutched my stomach, my cheeks puffing out slightly as something tickled my gag reflex.

"I don't feel so good. I think...I think I'm gonna _vom_."

Everyone's faces melted into puzzled expressions.

"V-Vom?" Sonic inquired, stumbling over his words as if he was suddenly nervous.

I nodded once before slapping a hand over my lips, spinning around and sprinting down the aisle. The sickness was rising, building, growing more and more intense.

_"VOM!"_ I shrieked, before disappearing behind a door with a pink, womanly symbol on the front.

And from there it all went downhill.

Downhill with the target being the bottom of a toilet bowl.

**(Shadow's POV)**

Intense silence fell upon the main control room. Me in my chair, Eggman in the other, piloting the Egg Carrier, saying nothing, making no sound. It was quiet enough to make one's hair stand on end. And it'd been like that for hours now.

The most interaction we'd have since my outburst had been me clearing my throat when he started nodding off to sleep, with his hands still locked around the steering wheel. He responded with a snort and short grumble, and then it went back to a hollow, empty, noiseless communication. The absence of sound was starting to form pressure on my ears.

He was angry with me. That much was clear. He was confused, annoyed, and maybe even feeling slightly betrayed, that I kept my ambitions a secret for so long and revealed them in such a flamboyant way. To him, my decision to erase my memory for the second time was foolish, and served little to no purpose.

He said things like "Don't fix what isn't broken," and "This is an insult to my Grandfather's intentions for your existence," and "After having worked so hard to obtain what you know now, you're honestly okay with starting back at square one?"

And then "You do realize that along with the memories that will fade to white, the ones of Rachel have a high chance of disappearing too."

That final thought made me close my eyes and sigh softly.

There was something he wasn't quite grasping. My affections towards Rachel were incredibly against my morals, against everything I was and believed in.

Or...so we both thought.

It was the fact that I was becoming equipped with more and more human emotions. I was feeling the things that a human male my age would feel towards someone he cared about immensely.

I liked Rachel, and respected her to a certain degree. But because I'd gone so long without the full extent of Chaos' power, my body was becoming less like a machine and more like a human's operative system. I was feeling things I'd never felt before. Because previously, I had two emotions: Stoic and Furious. Happy sometimes managed to wedge itself in. But overall it was something that usually was gone as quickly as it came.

Rachel's existence in my life for these past few months changed my outlook on a lot of things. I became so protective of her, so hostile when I felt she was trying to get away from me, and the thought of her ever leaving me left me in a rage that not even bloodshed could quench.

And that's why letting her go was one of the hardest things I'd ever done.

That's what he didn't understand. Forgetting her was supposed to help me. I was an immortal, and I was bound to outlive her in the end. She and I would have to part one way or another, so it would be better to not remember someone who caused such a pathetic impact on me when I was destined to watch them die anyway. But still, the thought of losing the memories of her face and voice that now danced in my head when she wasn't present, was a jarring transition indeed. I didn't want to think about that at all. It made me sick.

Letting my past with Maria slip away was also a difficult and slow process, but in some ways it was made easier by the fact that Maria had been dead for quite some time. To know that right now, Rachel Tower, whose path was crossed by mine in the strangest trick of fate, was somewhere else in the universe, alive, thinking, breathing, speaking, emoting, without me there to witness it, was gut-wrenching. All I wanted right now was her company.

Why did I let her go? Well, it was both simple and, at the same time, a bit too complex for its own good.

There were underlying reasons. Such as, I wanted her to forgive me when she saw that I was serious about making sure she was safe. I wanted her to realize that my care for her was not falsely inputted. I wanted her to realize I wasn't as shallow as she presumed.

But ultimately, it was because I wanted to see her make it out alive. I made that promise to her. And, if she stayed next to me at the time we'd been in that corner together any longer, without much hope or sanctity or warmth, I might have ended up with her corpse.

I knew she was safe now. But, it wasn't me who was providing the safety. And that was nauseating; another human feeling I had not quite adjusted to. Jealousy, perhaps.

So after another undisclosed amount of time of staring out the window, flicking my eyes back and forth between stars, I finally brought them back to the side of Dr. Eggman's shiny bald head, and decided to speak for the first time in what felt like forever.

"Doctor, are you going to run the plan by me again?"

I then formed slits with my eyes.

"And by 'again', I mean tell me it at all, because you never really gave me much insight in the first place."

The Doctor jumped at the sound of my voice. Which I couldn't really blame him for, as it stood out against the previous deafening silence. He didn't look at me, but I could tell from a peek of his profile that he was thinking hard on my inquiry.

And when he said nothing, I just rolled my eyes.

"Okay, look. I get it. I get that being mysterious and mischievous is the style you like to play by. But if you want to make this work, and if you want me to cooperate, it'd be best to tell me everything you've got in the works since you're going to use me as a weapon, I presume. Don't just giggle and drop hints at what you're plotting. Tell me the plan. All of it."

Then, out of nowhere, Eggman cracked a wide grin. One that I was very, very familiar with.

He definitely had something tricky up his sleeve.

And he solidified that with the next word that fell from the mouth hidden beneath the bushy mustache.

_"Murder."_

I strengthened my focus on him.

"Hm? Alright, a single word wasn't exactly what I was preparing either. What, is that a code name or-"

"No, hedgehog, it's not a code name. It's a command."

He then flicked a button that set the Egg Carrier to autopilot and turned to face me head on.

"I'm going to need you to murder a member of the Tower family."

...

Silence once again.

But it was very short-lived.

"Oh, well it would've been _very_ nice to know that ahead of time. You want me to murder humans now? I thought that was something you left up to me, as my decision, if one deserved to die or not. It was never an enforcement."

"Well it is now."

I blinked at just how utterly evil he sounded right then. Normally, Eggman sought after domination, not eradication. The only person he wanted dead was Sonic, and maybe some of the blue hedgehog's friends. But he never wanted to wreak havoc and mindlessly kill humans. And now a member of Rachel Tower's family? People who had done nothing to oppose him?

"Don't worry Shadow, I'll leave it up to you to decide who you kill," he assured me. "It can be anyone except the Commander. But we'll have to capture the selected one first...hold him or her at literal gunpoint, and then pull the trigger to scare the Commander right into submitting to my plans in taking over the city, and that will be preceded by taking over the rest of the world. They'll all see that I mean business."

His grin widened immensely.

"Would this be a cruel act on my part? Why of course it would be. But drastic times call for drastic measures."

"What drastic measures, exactly," I demanded. "We have yet to even reach Earth. How do you know the Commander will deny your advances on world domination when you haven't even attempted a negotiation!"

"Because a certain ebony bag of melodrama.." his eye twitched, "NOT THAT I'M MENTIONING ANY NAMES OR ANYTHING...saw to it that our ticket to his defeat was suddenly no longer in our possession. You allowed her to just slip through our fingers."

I scowled. "We never possessed, Rachel. You can't objectify her like that, not after all we endured. I made sure to look after her-"

"Yes and do you see where that has led us?! Playing a game of cat and mouse all across the universe!"

I was getting edgy. I folded my arms. "My point is, I don't need to kill anyone, let alone anyone from the Tower family."

Eggman laughed. "Ah, but Shadow! You never had a problem with murder before! Is it because it's a member of Rachel's family? You know it would hurt her. You don't want to be responsible for her trauma. You know she would hate you if you did something like that."

My teeth clenched. There wasn't any reason to deny the obvious, so I just went with it.

"So what if that's why I'm against it! Or could it be that I'm only decent, and that I'm fair when it comes to life and death. Killing innocent people who aren't willingly standing in my path is totally unorthodox."

Eggman rubbed his chin and hummed a little. "Well, if it's any comfort, the death itself wouldn't be too messy. The gun, so to speak, would be my new Supernova Cannon, which, if my calculations are correct, has the power and voltage to vaporize any living or nonliving organism and leave no trace behind. In fact, I've never tested it anything...so this would be a nice little experiment."

When he saw that what he said did little to comfort me, he went ahead to say more.

"Also, you'll be resetting yourself, along with your memory bank, by the time it's all over. So it's not like you'll remember brutally killing any man, woman, or child. I don't see what the problem is, honestly."

Eggman's eyes then left mine and trailed out towards the window.

"You see, Shadow, the Earth truly is a beautiful place. A lovely planet that is unmatched by any I've ever seen in my many years. But it's ran by the most horrendous leaders imaginable. Its government is putrid, in every region and country and province. There's no one to bring order. The humans abuse their freedom by abusing each other. People kill and steal and assault and rape, and they get away with it too. You got a perfectly good demonstration of that the night you saved Rachel Tower's innocence, and possibly even her life."

He then turned and smirked at me. "My grandfather did design you to sink into more human behaviors and instincts as time without the seven Chaos Emeralds stretched on. Because he knew that once you started thinking like them, you would start to fully understand the nature of their ways. The good, but mostly the bad. And I suppose he gave you the option of switching back to the mindset of his initial creation, so you wouldn't have to bear the burden of a human mind for too long. Emotion truly is a blessing and yet more-so a curse."

His head then dipped. "I do have a thirst for power that plays a role in my aspirations. But I do think I would be doing the human race a tremendous favor by governing them, and helping them melt into a routine of obedience and discipline. Sure, there will be defiance, but we can wipe out those who are inferior and start a newer, stronger population."

And now he looked back at me.

"When that goal is met, you are free to go. With your new thoughts washed clean of any lingering worries or doubts. You can stick around or leave and plague the universe with the same resentment and intolerance you had when I released you from your capsule. That doesn't sound so bad, does it?"

I had fallen deep into thought. I ran the scenario over and over again in my head. To have Eggman run the whole planet Earth wasn't exactly something I was in favor of. But then again, I had no regards for humans. Not for any, excluding Maria and now Rachel.

I then looked at the Doctor, doubling the seriousness in my expression. Something else had come to mind. Something slightly off-topic. But it was something I remembered now and probably wouldn't in a very short amount of time, if things went according to plan.

"Doctor, you said before, right as we were leaving that ice planet, that another reason I feel so strongly for Rachel has something to do with the Chaos Emeralds."

I rose from my chair and stepped towards him. "Would you like to elaborate on that?"

He chuckled. "Ah, yes. Well see, it's quite simple really."

His body shifted to face me. "Rachel more than likely has a gene that allows her body to absorb Chaos Energy. It's no secret that Abraham Tower was exposed to all sorts of hazardous chemicals on the Space Colony ARK, being that his father was one of the scientists. And something managed to mutate his DNA, and that new mutation had a strong reaction with Chaos Energy. Did you think that discoloration in his eyes was something he was born with?"

He shook his head. "Nope, you have the Chaos Emeralds to thank for that. And it seems Rachel inherited it from him, and was able to fuse with you in that sense. You two have formed a connection. Tell me, have you ever noticed something odd when the two of you touch? A spark of some sort? One of you is bound to have felt it, if not just once."

Processing what he was saying caused a delay in my reaction. I held a small inkling of understanding, but for some reason it seemed too far-fetched for me to just fall for. I blinked and then glared at him.

"Do you really expect me to believe that?"

He shrugged. "I don't care if you do or not. But don't be surprised if Rachel Tower looks a little different the next time you see her. That is, assuming you two will meet again."

I paused.

"What? You're implying that she and I will encounter each other again?"

He saw that the mentioning of seeing her again hooked my interest and rode with it, possibly using it to his advantage. But I was too interested to care.

"You will if you follow my orders, Shadow. You'll see her again, and you can say and do anything you wish. You'll be free from our bargain. Free from my judgement."

His eyes flickered. He'd thought up an idea.

"Think of it this way, Shadow. Once I rule the world, you'll be able to come and go as you please, as I said before. You have the freedom that exceeds the one I have prepared for the humans.

You can stay as long as you want. For days, for months, for years, you can even make a home out of it."

He broke out in a grin.

"And I won't stop you from being with Rachel. She can be the exception to the rules, just for you. You can _have_ her."

My eyes widened. Needless to say, I was stunned.

"Doctor, are you honestly saying that you would just give Rachel to me? To keep?"

"Yes," he clarified. "That's what you want, isn't it? To control her as you please, to always be around her? I mean it's safe to say that even when you reset yourself using Chaos, you'll never lose that instinct in you that wants to make sure she's safe at all times, just like you didn't lose your thoughts and feelings towards Maria. Consider it my...shall we say, gift to you. Rachel will be yours. For all your trouble, for sticking it out through both our share of endeavors. You have indeed sacrificed the most, worked your mind and body the hardest. Sure I made a deadly contraption capable of zapping something from existence, but that's all child's play to me."

He then walked away with his hands twined behind his back.

"We'll both get what we want in the end, Shadow the Hedgehog. All you have to do is listen to me for a bit longer. And then you'll never hear from me again."

I watched him carefully, analyzing the possibilities in my head. I could have Rachel, own her basically. She would be mine if I followed one more order and killed one more innocent human.

It made me cringe. I remembered how Rachel reacted to me around the time I captured her. She loathed me for killing people in the past. And if I annihilated someone that was her blood relative...someone from her immediate family.

She would want absolutely nothing to do with me.

The sight of me would make her sick.

But granted, I would have power over her then. It wouldn't matter if she wanted to defy me. She would have to listen. She would have to do as I said, and I could always keep her close.

Was it worth it?

Would I really bring myself to be the selfish, monstrous creature she accused me of being from the very beginning?

Just to have her to myself?

My muscles tensed up. "Doctor, I-"

But then somewhere beyond the controls, a door zipped shut. I looked up where Eggman had been standing, only to find the space was empty, and his steps were dying away on the other side of the barrier.

I sank back in my seat, drowning in my own thoughts.

One thing was definitely certain. The sooner I forgot all of this, the better.

**(Sonic's POV)**

She was fast asleep. Again. Which was probably exactly what she needed.

After having regurgitated all the illness and twisted matter left buried in the contents of her stomach, she probably felt a lot better now. That was comforting. Poor girl had been through so much.

I noted that Rachel looked very peaceful when she slept. Though that probably had to do with the way her body probably took any kind of rest in with open arms. She was free to escape to the oasis of her dreams, far away from the drained and tattered body she was stuck with right now in the present world. And even then, when she awakened and time continued on towards future's sunrise, some of the wounds left behind would never close.

She would always remember, after all. Even if she didn't want to. How could she not?

I looked up through the window and saw a blue sphere in the far away distance. Rotating against a black canvas, splashed in textures of green and brown. Patterned by blotches of white.

I felt my chest heave a little.

It was so close, and yet so far.

The planet Earth.

Amy, who was sitting nearby, must've noticed me ogling at the view. She giggled to herself.

"All in due time, Sonic. All in due time. We'll be there very soon. I know you're impatient, but just think about how great it'll be when we get there. Think about how happy she'll be. Oh, I hope she doesn't wake up until we've landed. After all, a well-needed reunion is in order. We can surprise her by waking her up surrounded by her family. She'll think it's a dream, but then she'll realize she isn't waking up from it! It'll be perfect! I'll probably cry! We packed tissue boxes, right?!"

Without breaking my gaze away, I smiled briefly.

"You might be on to something, Amy. But I am impatient. It can't come soon enough," I said in response.

I finally looked away only to look back down at Rachel, as she lay curled up in a ball, facing my direction, breathing softly and clinging to the sheet we'd provided for her, seemingly balling it in her fists from the inside.

I sighed to myself.

This young girl deserved nothing more than to be home. We would return her to her family, where she could feel loved and not constantly overshadowed by threat.

We probably had not heard the last of Eggman and Shadow, but I'd see to it that she would never have to deal with the stress of being under their control again. They'd damaged her, broken her, and when they decided to show up and face the music, I would fight for her sake, and give them exactly what they deserve. All the pain and suffering they caused her, except all at once. In one blow.

Justice would be served before any of them could see it coming.

**(x)**

**(x)**

**(x)**

**(A/N) So in the time I've been seemingly dead, I have been through a state of depression. And maybe it's not wise to blab too much about my personal life, but I've also lost three uncles within weeks of each other, had a brief falling out with my mother, had my heart broken, ran into a lot of problems in school, questioned my existence a few times, and learned a lot of things about life. lol.**

**I'm going to be graduating next month. Turning 18. Starting college. Ready to move on and meet new people. I'm ready to leave the old me behind, much like Shadow has done. The only difference is, if the story is not complete by then, I'm taking it with me.**

**I'm dreadfully sorry to anyone who feels I've let them down or that I abandoned this story for too long. But I lost little if not all of my drive to write for a long time. But now I'm ready to finish what I started. It's been nearly two years since I published We Will Always Be Enemies, and I haven't updated since 2012. **

**Lemon Grab: UNACCEPTABLE!**

**Haha, and even though it's sort of a slap in the face that this chapter is nothing but talking, I was desperate to update. The first part of the chapter was done months before the rest. Starting with Shadow's POV and going down, that was all completed in a day's time.**

**I'm back guys. I haven't died. I promise I won't give up just like that. While I'm not as much of a diehard Sonic fan as I was when I started this story, and don't necessarily agree with some of the decisions I've made regarding it, I have such a soft spot for it that I can't quit when I'm almost done. It WILL be completed.**

**Review responses: First I'd like to thank you all for 300 reviews. Really, something like that is surreal. I didn't know there were so many people that read my silly story.**

**Will Rachel turn super? No. I think I stated in earlier chapters that she will remain a normal human as far as super powers and transformations go. She's a bit different in that she has Chaos Energy. But no, she will not be able to use it like Shadow or Sonic. I don't think that's really a spoiler so much as it is something to inform you so you aren't let down. lulz.**

**Does anyone really not know who that was in Rachel's dream? I mean does anyone have any sort of idea? I'm not saying you're dumb, in fact it's probably very complicated. But I'm surprised no one was like "OH, THAT'S PROBABLY _"**

**I'm so sorry if things are still confusing for you. Hopefully this chapter cleared up some things that I kinda just threw at you before running away and disappearing for six months. e_e**

**Thank you for all your sweet reviews. Please, leave one if you have time. Tell me what you think about the story, you can even yell at me if you please.**

**Also, thanks for reading.**

**And thanks for sticking it out.**

**Thank you.**


	30. Damned

**(Rouge's POV)**

_Well so much for getting that bonus in my paycheck._

My legs were kicked up and resting lazily on top of the airship's piloting controls, while I lounged back and soothed my mind by sifting through some old catalogs that I'd brought along to cure any excessive boredom during the trip. The ship itself was flying smoothly through an uncharted galaxy, coordinated to land on Earth in just a few days. And being that I wasn't manually searching for my destination like I had been with the Egg Carrier, I was able to finally relax and leave the navigating to the automated system.

I'd failed my mission, and there was nothing I could do to change that. So what was the point in stressing over it?

My inner hunger was triggered when I came across a page in the magazine where a human female was gently flicking at an amulet that dangled along the muscles of her darkly tanned neck. I squeezed the edge of the paper between two fingers and chewed on the lumpiness of my lip.

"Maybe I'm not as cut out for this whole secret agent job as I thought I was," I mused to myself out loud. "I'll admit it, I handled this mission rather poorly. I'm almost too ashamed to show my face back at HQ. I've sort of lost the drive to take this kind of thing seriously anymore. Not that I didn't try, or care for that matter. But now that it's over and someone else took the reins, I find I simply can't be bothered.

"This kind of thing wouldn't have happened if I'd just stuck to treasure-hunting, when the lives of prissy little girls weren't at stake, and my biggest concern was about the shiniest jewel I could find. Why did I even retire my thieving days again?"

A vision of a certain scarlet echidna's face bloomed in the midst of my tangled thread of thoughts. I found myself smirking deviously.

"Ah, of course. It was so I wouldn't have to deal with that air-headed Knuckles every time I lusted after the Master Emerald. But it's not like it was something I could control. What kind of hunter turns down any and all opportunities to nab the sexiest jewel in the entire universe? I sure wish he had seen it that way."

My mind delved deep into a state of pondering. "Although, I kind of miss our little antics. Our occasional one-offs were interesting, too. He was pretty amusing when he fussed about me stealing his precious little Guardian gem. Or any gem for that matter. Our strength and agility usually cancelled out but it was fun for what it was."

I then rotated the catalog so I could examine the paper jewel again, this time from all angles.

"Although it's never too late to revert back to old habits...I suppose..."

The temperature in my face instantly rose as memories of the old days went crawling by. I found myself sighing haphazardly, my eyes briefly twinkling with mischief.

"Oh, Knuckles, brawling with you was always such a lovely way to pass the time. In fact, I sort of miss it...and you, in a way. A very weird way, might I add."

And then I heard the sound of snickering from beneath the motherboard.

Snickering.

...Snickering?

I shifted my knees to the side and looked down.

"What the...did I just hear someone...-"

I was suddenly greeted by a pair of neon yellow eyes and a wide, toothy grin. And whatever the monstrosity that possessed the abnormal eyes and mouth was, it somehow thought it was a good idea to scurry out from under me right as I stamped my feet down in shock.

The poor thing ended up with both my boots slammed into its jaw. But now that it was out in the open, I could see what it was.

What he was.

And I was suddenly more terrified than I had been before upon realizing the all too familiar face.

Bokkun wailed out loudly in pain as I moved away from him. He stumbled to his feet, grimacing at the pain.

"Wow! Thanks for damaging me, you crazy bat! A big bravo to you!" he hollered. "With that kind of force, I think I just lost the ability to see colors!"

I crossed my arms, the uneasiness suddenly making way as sheer annoyance settled in.

"Bokkun! Who do you think you're calling crazy?! You're the one stowing away in here!"

He merely whimpered while rubbing his head with both stubby hands.

"Yeah at least I have enough sanity to not talk to myself when I'm alone..."

He suddenly veered away in horror as I readied my foot to squish him again.

"Yeah well looks like I wasn't alone after all, thanks to you, you little creep! What are you doing here, anyway?! You're an Eggman crony and I'd really prefer if I didn't have you tracking your filth into my airship! You have some nerve just showing up here uninvited, eavesdropping on me and disturbing my peace!"

He cowered back into his hiding place, having been reduced to a quivering ball of indigo flesh.

"I'm not filthy...I'm clean as a whistle, I promise, Eggman sees to it that we're all sterile! And I'm sorry, that wasn't my intention at all! I didn't even mean to scare you! Please don't throw me out! There's nothing but empty space around us for miles on end and I'll die out there!"

I lifted a brow. "Is that so. Are you trying to bargain or tempt me?"

He gasped. "W-What?! Bargain! I'm trying to bargain, Rouge! Don't get any murderous ideas. I know this is really a short notice thing, or...maybe no notice at all, but I quit working for Eggman. He mistreated me too often and took me for granted and I just about grew sick of it. I want nothing more to do with that old lump."

His face suddenly poked out from beneath the shadows and he smirked playfully at me. "Instead, I figured two lumps were the better alternative!"

He then screamed when I picked up my chair and prepared to slam it down on his pathetic little jester head.

"Okay okay I'm sorry, it's too soon for humor! I get it! The real reason I hid here at the last second was because I had no where else to go. I promise, wherever you're headed, as soon as you board the surface I'll be out of your hair in no time! You'll never have to hear about me again!"

I rolled my eyes. "I still can't believe this is happening. If I keep you here it means I'm stuck with you."

And yet somehow, upon realizing how desperately he needed me at that particular moment, I couldn't help but cave. I don't know what came over me.

"I'll tell you what. If you can be as scarcely annoying as possible I won't toss you out the door and leave you behind to suffocate or die of starvation. But we're adding this to your tab. You're already in my debt, in case you forgot. I mean surely you recall that locket with your little secret inside, right? I do still have it. It would be a shame if it were to suddenly end up in the hands of all your peers, for them to open it and mock you with its delicious contents. All these years of successfully keeping your true love hidden will have been wasted. So for the next few days, you better treat me like a goddess and nothing less."

Bokkun must've felt bold right then, because he hovered out from under the controls and stared at me, apparently unfazed by my demands.

"I'll be happy to stay out of your way, Rouge the Bat. There's no question about that. You sort of scare me, after all. But as far as that locket goes...that's all water under the bridge. I don't even like Cream in that way anymore. However, it appears the tables have turned. You're now the one with a secret crush, and I'm the only one who knows."

Even though a wave of nervousness kicked in, I managed to play it cool. "Oh, so you suddenly think you have something you can hold over me. Well, the joke's on you, you little shrimpy sad clown. I don't have feelings for Knuckles in a way that would make him redder than he already is. Boy would that be something to laugh about."

Bokkun shook his head. "Uh-uh, nope. I ain't buyin' it. You want to talk about red. Well if you don't like him, how come every time you mention him your cheeks flush?!"

I lifted a hand and subconsciously brushed it along the side of my face, feeling the heat melt through the fabric of the glove. My eyes glared acidic daggers at the former messenger.

"You wanna talk about red. You'll be red by the time I'm through with you!"

Cue supposedly comedic chasing of a little devilish chunk of slime, with lots of screaming, crying, and laughing.

"Don't deny the truth! You like Knuckles, you have a big crush on him! You wanna kiss him!"

_This was going to suck._

"That's enough! I'll throw you out into space and your accusations will die with you!"

"You should only feel threatened if it's true!"

_Yep._

"BOKKUN YOU SHUT YOUR BIG BLUE MOUTH!"

"YOU CAN'T HIDE FROM YOUR LOVE!"

_This was definitely going to be a long trip home._

**(Sonic's POV)**

Earth was rapidly approaching. Every second the sphere of blue swelled larger and larger until it had completely filled the frames of the windows. We were nearing the oceans, sweeping closer the land. We were closing in on civilization, among which the Tower family resided still buried in grieving behind closed curtains.

Amy sat silently with her eyes fixed on the view before us. She was now cradling a blanketed Rachel Tower in her arms like an infant. The human girl lay twined inside her cocoon, her body and face relaxed as her conscience drifted somewhere far off in a deep slumber. She'd been asleep for hours, but none of us bothered to wake her. It was unclear how much rest she had gotten while in Eggman and Shadow's clutches, but even then rest must've been dreadfully difficult to acquire. I could only imagine how they treated her, and what conditions she was left to thrive in. So we let her soak her health and energy back in. She'd need it very soon when she was surrounded by her loved ones after many months of being gone, so she could lift her arms and wrap it around them at long last.

I smiled to myself. My contentment was once again emerging from within its wraps. Knowing that we were so incredibly close to reaching Earth after having successfully obtained two chaos emeralds AND rescued the world's most famous hostage, I felt accomplished. I felt at ease. The fight had not yet ended, but I was fairly certain that the worst of it was over. Eggman and Shadow had no chance of recapturing Rachel so long as I was around, and even if they somehow managed to, they'd never be able to get as far as they did before. Not with us in tow.

Thank the stars for the Chaos Emeralds' power. Because of it we were able to get to Earth much quicker than when we had left, whereas Eggman's Carrier would come treading after us at a snail's pace with its significant lack of power. Sure, it gave them time to come up with an elaborate plan. But that would all be futile when they arrived and dealt with us, along with the wrath of Rachel's grandfather, who had been permanently pissed off since the day she left, not that I, nor anyone could blame him, and had an army of trained men to back him up.

Tails voice shook me free of my thoughts as he called to us from inside the cockpit.

"We'll be entering Earth's atmosphere very shortly, so make sure you're all securely seated! I'll be contacting Commander Tower at least an hour prior to landing to let him know we're here!"

At the sound of this, I turned over to send Amy a look carefully blended between caution and excitement, only to find Rachel stirring in her arms in an adorable, child-like manner. Amy sighed and gently shrugged the human off her lap and into the corresponding seat, while gingerly fastening a seat belt around her sleeping body.

I nodded to her. "You've done really good, Amy Rose. We all have. Be proud."

Amy tightened the leather straps and then looked at me, grinning sweetly. "Rachel's gotten a lot warmer since we left, you know. I'd say she's almost at normal body temperature now, if not just a bit higher. She is slightly sick, after all..."

I nodded again. "I wouldn't worry about it. Her temperature might take a while before it regulates. As for what caused all of this...well...we'll bombard her with our questions later. I still wonder how she could've possibly absorbed enough Chaos Energy to have it flow through her veins. Here I thought a thing like that was impossible."

Amy stroked Rachel's dry and tangled mass of brown hair, combing her fingers through softly through the buds and knots.

"We all did, Sonic. I don't think a case of something like this has ever been recorded. There's definitely something different about this girl. She's certainly a special one, isn't she? A scientific marvel."

I continued watching Amy's fingers work through her hair whilst expressing a noise of disapproval.

"But...I don't think Rachel wants to be special, or a scientific marvel. She's just a kid, and that's all she wants to be. That's all she feels entitled to be. I can't say I don't understand why. She deserves a life of normalcy, surrounded by people who care for her and shower her in positive vibes."

Amy giggled. "I suppose you're right. I was just trying to make light of the situation. And even if she is a kid inside and out, she sure does sleep like a baby."

Her hand then pulled free from the human's locks. "I need to stop, before I get too attached. We'll be parting ways soon."

I found myself smirking at this.

"No need to sulk, this is in fact a very good thing."

Suddenly, Knuckles snored loudly, like gravel in a blizzard, in the seat behind me. I cringed, and Amy's emerald orbs widened as we were both caught off guard. The rosy hedgehog then suppressed a giggle.

I eased my tension almost immediately. "And I mean that in more ways than one."

**(Shadow's POV)**

"So I take it you've administered a final decision?"

I shot the Doctor a hazy glare, my previous train of thought quickly derailing and the accompanying steam going haywire.

"You wish I were that simple."

He only shrugged, his lustrous, rubbery pink nose twitching back and forth.

"It's not even a matter of simplicity at this point. It's now been a few days of you just sitting here silently, occasionally leaving to go find some another corner to brood in."

I looked ahead, towards the solar system in front of us. I disregarded his mockery. After all, he really had not a single clue.

"You act as if I should know right away how I'd like to spend a very wide remainder of my life. It's either a matter of leaving the one living person I care about to struggle and fend for herself in a post-apocalyptic world run by the likes of you, or taking her under my wing from here on out until her dying breath."

And then Eggman laughed at me, clicking at some of the multi-colored plastic in front of him.

"Shadow, you do realize only one of those choices requires responsibility, if that's your main concern," he said matter-of-factly. "Though, I get the feeling it's not."

I sighed, attentively focusing on the prisms of light around the Egg Carrier.

"No matter what happens, if Rachel is miserable, which she will be, I will ultimately feel like I'm the one to blame."

Eggman huffed in response. "All the more reason to wipe away your memories and cease the ability to feel, hedgehog. Point blank. It's been a painful ride, and its time the rollercoaster docked. Don't you agree?"

My mind dropped into its color-stained depths.

_Only a little. Mostly dramatic, and angsty, confusing and aggravating as all hell. The most painful part, apart from being stabbed whilst protecting a human who hated me, was releasing her. And that was of my free will._

And yet, the source of this limitless turmoil had me by the throat. A human, a human girl who had little to no significance and a mind like a locked safe had brought me down to my knees. I felt I had to be with her...as if I needed to be. And without her, something terrible would happen to one of us if not directly affecting both parties, on both physical and emotional levels. Something told me that even after I cleansed my blood and circuitry of all these haunting worries by bonding my energy with the Chaos Emeralds, I'd always be left to wonder. There would be a distant stab of guilt reminiscent to the one I had felt back when I still mourned the loss of Maria. It was going to happen all over again. I had to stop it in its tracks and prevent history from repeating itself. I just wished I knew how.

"If I choose to keep her and shelter her away from the new backwards society you'll govern...I might be able to make her happy somehow since she'll possess a certain freedom no one else of her kind can say they have."

I crossed my arms. "But then again, it might not seem like freedom to her. And maybe the only way she can achieve happiness is through being with the rest of the Tower family, even if its in chains."

I paused. "On the other hand, she enjoys their company because she's been raised to do so, and depends on them for refuge, for safety and guidance, and that's something the adult relatives provide for her. I would think her younger counterparts aren't but mere nuisances. So the adults will eventually die off. But me, I do not age. And so long as I take care of myself, I cannot die either. And I can protect her easily and provide her with the necessities her mentality needs to grow and be healthy."

My thought process drifted off in the opposite direction yet again. "But Rachel probably feels most comfortable among other mortals, being that she is one herself. Also, she will grow old and die. That is inescapable just as it is for all humans. I would be potentially robbing her of every life experience she has set herself up for. Acquiring friends, stepping into the world independently, making a use of herself-"

"Falling in love."

I turned to look at Dr. Eggman through my peripheral.

"Getting married."

My brow furrowed. "Knock it off."

"Waking up every morning in the arms of a man who loves her, feeling cherished in his presence, spawning his children, aging together at an equal pace."

I found my temper rising into literal heat.

"I know what you're doing. You can stop playing mind games now."

"I finished playing games sixteen years ago, Shadow," Eggman replied all too casually. "I'm telling you exactly what will happen. Rachel is a decently attractive human with a pure heart. She'll win someone over. In my world of reign they'll make something of their misery. Haven't you ever heard, love triumphs over all?"

I glared down at my lap.

"Any feelings I have for Rachel are purely platonic. There's no point to your teasing."

"I don't recall platonic relationships ever involving mouth-to-mouth action," Eggman said slyly.

"Come off it. She hates me, Doctor. My existence makes her sick to her stomach. To her I'm nothing more than overpowered _vermin,"_ I declared venemously. "I've been wanting to assert the fact that I care about her more than I let on, and more than she'll ever understand, for a long time now. It didn't work when I saved her the first time, or the second time, or even when I bargained over her potential freedom a third time. So when she tried to escape from here, I was insulted. Devastated. I couldn't stop myself. I've explained this numerous times."

"That's all sweet in a very twisted sort of way, but Shadow, I think the most you've ever proved your affections was when you released her, as stupid as it was," the elderly, deranged scientist admitted. "She probably holds more respect for you now than ever before."

My fists curled into sharp knots.

"And now you want me to kill a member of her family," I seethed. "It'll all be for nothing."

"Not necessarily. It will have been helping me pave my way to having _ultimate, limitless_ power, with the core of my threats relying on a weapon that you served no purpose in helping me construct, even when that was our deal from the start."

The ridges of my eyes lifted.

"...did you say _relying?"_

"The death of one person is meaningless, Shadow," he said, ignoring my inquiry. "It's even more meaningless when they've done nothing to contribute in a way that makes their name heard all around the world. They disappear, their voices and faces are forgotten. They are scraps of _nothing. _That's how they enter the world and how they shall leave."

He then turned and shot me a very serious glare.

"And if you decide you don't want to aid me, I assure you it will not end well."

I returned the gaze with my own balance of ferocity.

"Humor me and try to kill me all you want. So long as you don't harm Rachel, I don't care what you do. And even if you tried I wouldn't let you, and by simply attempting such a thing, I promise it wouldn't end well for you either."

"But that would mean you've decided to keep her after all. You would be protecting her from me, disregarding anyone else who is in danger. Isn't that the same thing?"

He then shook his head and smiled.

"There are worse things she can be brought to endure. Like remaining alive and witnessing everyone she loves perish before her eyes. And that, above everything else, would be your fault. And the best part is it is absolutely no sweat off my back. I'll get my satisfaction from knowing that I made the human you love even more miserable than you could ever make her yourself and she'll hate you with more passion than she could ever hate me."

His teeth bared and he fought back a deep cackle.

"So what's it going to be, hm? Make a decision, yet? All for one and one for all?"

I felt a bit defeated by his proclamation.

If I decided to annihalate a relative of hers, she'd hate me and classify me as a cold blooded murderer. If I stood back and did nothing, everyone she loves would die, and figuratively it would be at my hands. Eggman would be sure to tell her that. And I would then be a cold-blooded murderer. So it was more along the lines of kill one instead of kill all.

My face rose and fell as different worries shivered their way along the outskirts of my cerebrum. I breathed heavily.

_I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't._

A cloud of heavy thinking ensued, along with different angles of uncomfortable shifting. I ran over the many different outcomes that followed with each decision, none of which appealed to me in the slightest.

And then, my raging mind settled down to glowing embers. I flipped my thoughts inside and out, twirling it to reaches I had previously not been able to comprehend. If my brain was a daemon, I'd have punched it in the throat by now.

And then I reached a conclusion.

There was only one way we could end this ordeal. I wanted to avoid the worst case scenario, which involved death and havoc. I wasn't looking forward to a showdown. But alas, no matter what I chose, someone was bound to die, someone was bound to be harmed or, in the very least, unhappy. There was only one thing I could do now that would give me a chance of achieving even a little bit of redeeming quality.

I then narrowed my eyes and nodded once.

"Alright. I know what I want to do," I stated, feeling the Doctor burn holes into me with his hidden irises.

"Full speed ahead, Doctor. We can hurry and get there sooner than anticipated if we try. I know we can.

Let's catch them using the element of surprise. Let's go enslave the human race, and then make Rachel Tower mine forever."

**(Travis' POV)**

When a person delivers bad news, there are two ways to go about it. Two very different, contrasting ways, both of which aim to achieve a similar outcome.

There's the way of coaxing the listener by showering them in sweet and supportive gestures, explaining the situation calmly and carefully explaining what is wrong. And then the other method, the way of swiftness, where the bearer simply states the curdled information and allows you to digest it and then ask your own questions if you so desire.

My parents, somehow, managed to combine these strategies, and it didn't pan out the way it should have initially. They entered our room. I had been shuffling through our collection of old video games, while Emma was drawing something morbidly relevant to Rachel's absence just like she always did.

It basically went like this:

_"You remember when Grandpa invited you to stay with him for the weekend in Westopolis? That was fun, right? You enjoyed yourselves if I'm not mistaken. That's how it should be. He likes spending time with the two of you and loves you very much."_

And then suddenly, like carnage flourishing from a mist,_ "It'd be wise to see him more often. Your grandfather has cancer and isn't expected to live much longer."_

Neither me, nor my sister had any sort of evident reaction to this big reveal. They told us about twenty minutes prior to now, and were currently rambling on like headless chickens about what he had been told by his doctor and the exact diagnosis and how long we had until he was to expire. But their explanations fell on deaf ears. My sister continued drawing her scribbled version of our sister drifting amongst little dashes and dots for stars, while I sat back and read the font on the back of my game cases, completely shutting them out and avoiding eye contact.

Though it took them long enough, it was my mother who first noticed that I wasn't paying them any attention. She fell silent, and for whatever reason, decided to target me instead of my twin. I guess because she came off with a less steely aura as she playfully prodded at her sheets of paper with worn down colors.

"Travis, aren't you going to say anything?"

I didn't respond. I pursed my lips and squinted at the tiny white letters I was reading.

"I'm talking to you, young man."

I sighed. "Yeah, and I wish you'd stop."

Suddenly, there was the sound of stomping closing in on me, and before I had time to react, the rectangular piece of plastic was pried from my hands and flung across the room, hitting the wall behind Emma. She simply ignored the loud impact and hummed a song to herself in an eerie manner.

I looked up at once and was met with the raging oceans of my mother's eyes, who then grabbed hold of both my shoulders and shook me violently.

"What's the matter with you?!" she nearly shrieked through her clenched jaw, her irises bleeding through me like the surging sea. "A year will pass and Rachel still might not be back. If you're going to sulk and be a brat the whole time then I don't want you and your attitude tainting my house!"

Each word out of her mouth was a stab to the chest, but her malice wasn't thick enough to barricade my own building anger.

She'd cracked.

"We're devastated, Travis! All of us! It isn't just about you! Do you think I planned on losing a child this way, only to have no idea what it is she's enduring every day we're not with her because she's not even on the fucking planet?!"

I recoiled a little, my own stress beginning to hammer.

"This kind of incident has never happened to anyone else," she continued. "We're helpless. We have no one we can turn to. We sit around and wait expectantly for a miracle. But until then, the last thing this should do is tear us apart. It should bring the family closer together. I love you and your sister and want to hold you tighter to me than ever before. And now I'm losing a father-in-law and the last thing I want to lose, when I have nothing left, is your attention, and affection, and your sense of caring! Don't be selfish anymore!"

"Since Rachel's been gone I've lost any ounce of remorse I had left in me, Mom," I finally retaliated, appalled by her hypocrisy. "And don't act like you're the most sentimental person to ever grace the world with your presence. Grandpa's dying and the last time any of us saw him, you showed him nothing but resentment for keeping a secret that was only meant to protect us!"

I felt my eyes brim with tears but blinked the accumulation away.

"Since Rachel's been gone...we haven't been a family...and I refuse to think we're in any way complete without her. Our bonds are brittle. All we've done is crumble, and if she never comes back, we'll shatter completely."

Mom's eyes lost their swirls of fury and the waters calmed. I could see the hurt in her face and it was clear she could see mine too. Her temper regulated along with her breathing.

She stared at me, as her eyebrows turned down and her trembling pink lips moved to say something else. But her voice was interrupted by the ring of a cell phone.

The tune sang from within my dad's denim pocket. He'd been watching the scene without intervening and still stood between the threshold. He shuffled his fingers through the fabric of his pants and pulled out the wailing device, but not before checking the name that filled out the planes on the screen.

"_Abraham Tower_. It's my father."

Emma, from the other side of the room, peered upwards from between her caramel curls.

"Grandpa...?"

She looked at Mom as worry and concern suddenly dawned on her. She had been completely oblivious, possibly not retaining any information since she had been so concentrated on her artwork.

"Is grandpa...sick?"

Mom released her grip on me and strode across the room to plant herself next to my sister, twining her arms around the child and shushing her with sincere reassurances.

Dad answered the phone and greeted our Grandpa in a calm yet partially insecure manner, as if he feared the old man had more disappointing news to share with us.

"Hi father, how's-"

His face contorted with confusion.

"Woah, woah, slow down I can barely make out what you're saying. There's a lot of background noise."

Mom sat with Emma pulled to her chest, rocking back and forth and breathing deeply. Her swollen eyes fell upon the disarray of canvases splashed along the carpet, irises darting between each and every last depressing picture that dear sweet little Emma conjured up as her way of dealing with the sorrow. It managed to distract her, but as for me, I had my attention fully diverted to the one-sided conversation I was overhearing between my father and grandfather.

"Wait, why are you driving? Is that even safe for you in your...condition?"

I blinked, my hands interlocking and pulse quickening. Something important was happening right now. I could feel it.

Dad's whole face suddenly grew from every edge. His eyes widened, mouth dropped, bones rattled beneath his flesh.

"...Are you absolutely certain."

Now both Emma and our mother were looking his way too.

"Father this-"

he paused, accidentally swallowing air from his excitement, and used that instant to compose himself.

"O-Okay. I can remember the address. We're on our way right now."

He spun around and exited the room in a hurry, his words fading into the living room.

Mom stood at once, her arms disconnecting from my sister. "Wait, David, what's going on?" she said, chasing after him.

Emma and I glanced at each other in puzzlement before looking back at the empty doorway, where voices were overlapping and echoing from the other room.

"How long!" Dad exclaimed, his shock wavering through the door, followed by a squeal of joy from Mom.

"Have they found her?!" she practically screamed. "Oh, please tell me they have, please, please! Tell me they have!"

Dad either didn't receive an answer to his question or felt he had no need to respond to the one he was given, because he instantly hung up the phone. I then heard the sound of a loud, unnecessarily wet smooch, and knew it was an exchange between my parents.

"Sweetheart, we have our daughter back."

And then my mother made an inhuman noise, unable to contain herself. She gathered her dignity and sanity together immediately and shouted at everyone to get in the car.

I would've gladly obliged had the overflowing relief and happiness not caused me to collapse right there. I still remained awake. For the first time in forever, a huge smile broke out across my face.

Emma hooked her arms underneath the crooks of my elbows and shuffled out.

"Come on, Travis! Don't sleep now! We have to go! Rachel's here! She's waiting on us!"

"Rachel's here..." I said in a slur...as the world around me melted into a state of surrealism.

I said it again, to solidify those two words that I'd been itching to say for so long.

"...Rachel's here."

And I continued to chant them all the way out the door.

Everything would go back to normal.

I knew it would. It had to.

**(Sonic's POV)**

The X-Tornado had successfully broken through the atmosphere, the dim skies were growing lighter and closer to a bright aquatic color, whilst the sun burned above us like a white ember with an unforgiving lens flare streaking out and bleeding into the misty clouds.

It wasn't long before we could make out the outline of our country.

It wasn't long before we could make out the silver and blue camouflage of Station Square residing peacefully in the crisp winter daylight.

Tails shouted to us, "Preparing to land! Everyone be ready!" with very hoarse and strained undertones.

I somehow could hear Knuckles stirring behind me above the screech of wind bustling our airship. He woke up and groggily snorted out the last of his sustained rest, yawning obnoxiously. I could feel his shoes pointing against the back of my seat.

The echidna moaned a bit. "Eyahhh...what'd I miss...?"

**(Travis' POV)**

We were barreling down the dewy streets, racing up inclines and sliding down slopes like it was a ride at a theme park. The car swerved to the left, and then to the right, moving down a chaotic path through the city's maze.

"I can't believe we're meeting her at Sonic the Hedgehog's house! I can't believe he took it upon himself to venture out into the uncharted reaches of space to retrieve our little Rachel! I can't, oh gosh I just can't believe!" Dad exclaimed, his hands working the steering wheel as if he was choking water out of a rag.

"I can," I said happily, looking out the window at all people jabbing gloved fingers our way from outside the various restaurants and stores, all covered in frost. "He is a hero after all."

_"Our_ hero, now," Mom said. Her cheeks were sticky with salted moisture.

"Yeah well I wish _our_ hero had an easier way of getting to his residence!" Dad yelled in frustration. He was getting impatient, and we all knew why. Mom tried her best to soothe the tension just like she always had before.

"This may seem like it's the hard part, but at least it was easier than usual to get out of the house. Thank goodness the reporters have dispersed."

Emma giggled from her seat, the sun setting her hair ablaze in rust. "Yeah, they might have given up, but we sure didn't. Right guys? Can I get a hallelujah?"

Instead we all gasped as the van edged sharply to the side, evading a passing car. The sound of the horn trailed away along with the car, and the driver who shot us with obscene hand gestures. My sister and I momentarily looked back.

Our mother crossed her arms and glared sideways in disgust with her husband's sloppy driving. She quickly remembered why we always traveled by taxi and never left it up to my father to take the wheel. And they said women drivers were crazy.

"Let's make our new motif to get there in one piece. We've made it this far, I'd hate for us to die now," she said with stale humor.

"Seriously dad, if you're not careful you're going to hit other cars and send them flying," I agreed, imagining the cartoony notion of a bunch of vehicles catapulting away like papers in the wind.

Emma nodded. "Yeah, Dad, there are other lives at stake here. This isn't a video game where everything is pixelated and doesn't matter."

"EVERYONE JUST SHUT UP AND LET ME CONCENTRATE!" Dad yelled. His foot slammed into the gas pedal until it was parallel with the floor. The engine revved, propelling us forward and out of the city's limits. We shot through the suburbian outskirts like a drunken arrow and then onward, growing closer to our destination.

**(Sonic's POV)**

Rachel lay splayed in the space between my arms and chest, still sleeping. Still breathing, more importantly. My fingers pressed gently into her warm skin, and she mumbled in response, stretching one leg forward and nearly nailing Knuckles right in the skull. The echidna, who'd moved seats so he could keep the human in his sight along with the rest of us, scoffed as if he were insulted.

With a single chuckle I pulled her away so he'd safely remain outside her line of fire. I took one last look through the windows, and could see the orange patches of scenery and gray metallic buildings inching into view as we lowered ourselves farther down into the sanctity of Station Square.

**(Travis' POV)**

Mom and Dad were now shouting at each other in a fit of desperation, squabbling over which direction we should take or if we were even going the right way.

But they didn't need some map or pretentious atlas to detect the large mansion and runway right in front of us. They missed it, but my sister and I did not, and we also noted how the distance was not very far. We exchanged a look of triumph.

And then we noticed a jagged smear of blue descending from the open skies, dipping downwards past a horizon of clouds and retreating the path of the rising son.

**(Sonic's POV)**

I could see the runway growing in size.

I could see an expedition car zipping down through the winding road that led to our front porch. It quickly stationed itself near a decaying garden and a bunch of pale figures emerged from the vehicle.

The fleshy blobs went hurdling towards the runway, keeping close to the outer edges.

I grinned as the Tower family scurried into their positions, heads turned up as they watched us land.

**(Travis' POV)**

It was here.

She was here.

After so long...

She was finally here.

**(Sonic's POV)**

And then the wheels touched the surface of the Earth. We came to a slow, rolling stop.

**(Rachel's POV)**

My sleep had began in a feverish quake of rampaging dreams. Back to back, one after the other. Some were of memories I wished to forget, others of memories twisted and spun so that they sported different outcomes and existed in an alternate universe. And then some were incidents that would never happen. Like Shadow and my Grandfather making amends and deciding to end their rivalry with a handshake.

I knew I could never be comfortable with a mutual friendship between the two differing sides, and I imagined they wouldn't be either.

The dreams themselves were extremely vivid but I found myself exploring them lucidly, interacting with the people and places involved and having the idea that "Yes, I'm dreaming, and yes, it's alright to do whatever it is I'm about to do."

But sometimes, I'd catch glimpses of this small, irregular form of brown, usually lingering at the rims of my vision so it was never fully in focus. It looked like a collection of different shades of brown, moving in a humanoid manner.

He or she was a recurring aspect of my sleeping playground. But I never found myself interested enough to actually pursue the form in question.

I noticed the colors that I was seeing now, the neon tints and bright lights of an amusement park slightly in relation with Twinkle Park but with a touch more fantasy, suddenly dimming down into black.

It was quick and painless. The moment in the dark didn't last long enough to frighten me.

Soon I was awakening to a face looking back at me with wide, watery eyes.

_Huh?_

It was a woman. A beautiful woman...and at first she was a stranger. But her features were igniting something within me.

A sense of trust, relief, and happiness.

At first I thought it was another one of my dreams, until I heard the woman speak my name, and the voice made my mouth fall agape.

_Mom._

I reached a hand up and traced a finger along her cheekbone, as if to validate what I was seeing as reality. She shuddered in response, flashing a warm smile that made my heart tingle.

It seemed far too exceptional to be true. I had to still be asleep, or hallucinating.

But when I tore my gaze away from her I noticed the rest of the faces standing together behind her back, and my eyes followed their perimeter. One by one I could pick apart who they were, and what their names were.

_Dad. Emma. Travis._

My head lolled to the side and I looked directly up, only to be met by the friendly eyes of my azure savior.

_Sonic the Hedgehog._

I wasn't sure how long I'd been asleep, but I felt like gelatin, and my mind worked as if each thought had to tread its way through the sticky plasma before it finally clicked to me what was happening.

I could see blue skies around us. Birds passing and casting small shadows, the naked tree branches twitching as a cold breeze rolled over.

And then a choppy, sort of whirring noise shortly followed. It grew louder and louder.

My hair began to billow all around me. I was suddenly scooped into the arms of my beloved mother, and I instantly relished in how it was such a soft, warm place to be.

I kept my gaze panned towards the sky, and noticed the overcast of black settling on us.

The blades on the helicopter spun so fast that they appeared like black, hummingbird flower petals. On the side of the aircraft were the letters GUN.

The wind grew harsher, pushing the cold into me.

For once, I wasn't scared to melt into my only source of comfort. The only desired comfort I had. I huddled closer to my mother like a needy child, with no shame left in me to care about how silly I must've looked.

It was hard to absorb, but this was really happening.

I heard my name called a few more times, each by a different member of my family. Their voices were dancing around me in carousels as dizziness overwhelmed me.

I thought I felt a sickness building. But instead it was joy.

And tears.

I cried into my mother's shoulder, endlessly, for as long as I needed to, and felt alive once again.

(x)

(x)

(x)

A/N Alright so, the next chapter SHOULD follow shortly after this one, as it was meant to be one large chapter with everything crammed together. I've been super busy, and my 18th birthday is in eleven days. So go me, but also shame on me! At the same time!

I'd like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I might have messaged a few of you, because your kindness really sways me and helps me truck along. I'm not the best writer in the world but I can damn well try to be _my_ very best and you all bring that out of me. Right now, it's 10 AM and I pulled an all-nighter. I'm going to sleep and wake up and consume food and then repeat.

There is an author named Blitz the Hedgehog who served as a great shoulder to cry on (Just kidding) She more or less helped give me advice on some of the decisions I made regarding updating the story, and has been very supportive. She has a story called Kingdom of Chaos, which I took upon myself to read a chapter of, and in doing so I learned she's both a good source of motivation and a phenomenal writer. So thank you, deary. I suggest anyone who's unfamiliar with her check out her story. Whether it's up your alley or not, you have to respect the style in which the story is told. I'm not even a SonAmy fan and I like it! Brava.

So it's all coming together now. This is the third to last chapter...maybe second to last if I regard the final chapter in the installment as an epilogue. Reviews are appreciated, I'd really love some criticism.

Also, I'd like to share with all of you something that's a silly idea I've had. We're all familiar with Sonic '06, right? We don't like it, right? In fact it's regarded by many people as 'coming off as bad fanfiction.' I've considered re-writing the plot to be more solid and delivering, and publishing it as a story. I wouldn't be surprised if it's been done before. I have the opening cutscene written down in doc manager so don't be surprised if I post it on the site for kicks. I take it seriously but not too seriously.

Anway, thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed yourselves!


	31. The Triumph of Misery

**(A/N) I'm posting this at a super late time, so I won't be surprised if no one reads this, but I have to clear some things up first.**

**This chapter is 10,000 words long. I hope you don't have anything important to do, otherwise you'll have a bad time reading this.**

**I still have only half of the initial chapter I wanted to finish, finished. It cuts off at a very unforgiving point and I hope you don't hate me for it. I keep promising the end and failing to deliver.**

**I am updating this story now, instead of writing a full 20,000 word chapter for the following reasons;  
><strong>

**-I realize that no one really wants to read anything for that long. It has less to do with interest and more to do with capacity. I'm not confident that I have the ability to keep your interest for such a long chapter so I'll separate them YET AGAIN.  
>-Writing this chapter has been incredibly draining. I'm at a critical point in my life and college is starting soon, so I feel less obligated to write and kept trucking in at least 1,000, and sometimes 2,000 words a day and started to feel like I'd never finish.<br>-I've hit an all time low, and feared that if I didn't wrap up what I had so far, I'd leave it incomplete and abandon it for a while, and then lose the document after it's automatically deleted.  
><strong>

**I'm so ready to conclude this story. I love writing it and know I'll feel empty afterwards since it's been ongoing for so long. But I want to share the ending with you, desperately. And then after the final chapter I can show you a bit of the behind the scenes I've been wanting to share so badly (I don't know why, haha)**

**Immerse yourselves. Leave a review with critique, comments, questions, or candy! As far as length goes, it definitely drags at some bits. **

**And the last line is very literal, might I add.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

><p><strong>(Sonic's POV)<strong>

It was definitely as shamelessly sentimental a moment as any person might imagine. The moment when the Tower family had finally reunited with their missing link, a young, slightly traumatized brunette teenager who now gaped at the faces around her with bright, teary mismatched eyes as the swarm of heaping reality dawned on her. These two sides of a tragically split family had been dictating each other's thoughts continuously, for nearly half a year. Now they were all weeping, their hair blowing in the scissored wind and faces shiny and pink with joy, nabbing each other into the warmth of their interlocked arms. If I didn't have my stubborn dignity, I might have shed a tear myself.

And then the Commander himself, Abraham Tower, emerged from the previously airborne vehicle and paused for a moment to view the scene before him with misty eyes. I noticed his body was gaunt, seemingly more frail than it'd been the last time I had seen him, as his stood there with his stiff arms fixed behind his back. He took swift steps towards his family with a line of soldiers following from behind.

As he neared closer in passing, I noticed the age that settled into his face like dark dust in a bowl of putty. He had paled greatly, his veins were a richer blue and his liver spots were several times more prominent. He calmly, but very politely, brought his hands forward and broke into the circle of overjoyed people, parting through them like water. Rachel's mom had been spinning her daughter around and sobbing into her dark mess of locks, but then relaxed her arms and allowed the human to finally anchor her feet on the surface of the planet for the first time in five months.

It was then that Rachel, after regaining her balance, turned and noticed her grandfather standing before her. The rest played out like a silent film.

**(Rachel's POV)**

There were so many bottomless trails of happiness coursing through me, that all seemed to halt the moment my eyes came into contact with those of my grandfather's. His green eye mirrored my chemically lightened one, and there was no doubt that he'd noticed it himself. Everyone else who'd been hugging and planting kisses along my jaw might have thought it was just a trick of the sunlight. But he knew better. The intrigue and inquiry was written on his exhausted face.

He looked like he'd aged at least fifty years, but I could still see the kind, elderly man that I was more than familiar with masked under the creases and circles. In that instant I felt an addition to my bliss, but then the show was stolen by a feeling of uneasiness. Seeing his face reminded me of something I was trying so incredibly hard to forget.

It wasn't Shadow the Hedgehog. It was everything he'd told me about Shadow the Hedgehog prior to my kidnapping. It was how he introduced me to the hatred I'd felt regarding the Ultimate Life Form's existence when I was seven years old.

It was over. Shadow's relationship with me was severed, and I'd seen his side of the story just as he wanted. He was not good, but he was also far from bad. He was merely a science experiment with a poisoned temper and zero inhibitions. Inside, I quietly dismissed my grandfather's explanations all as a big, unnecessary exaggeration of the truth that was never told without bias. But I refused to be mad about it. Whether he stretched the truth or not, I trusted him, and loved him very much. That's all I wanted to feel. Love. No more hating, or loathing, or wishing death on things or people I didn't quite understand.

After an eternity of staring, I smiled and ran to him, wrapping my arms around his noticeably thinner body, and whispered a greeting.

The man fell down to his knees, returning the embrace and choking back tears with his nose digging into the crook of my neck. I could feel a bony gloved finger briefly hook onto the chain of my necklace before it fell away.

"Welcome home, Rachel."

It was over as soon as it had started. I had no time to respond since Grandpa pulled away and went to speak with a group of uniformed men behind him, and Mother, who took hold of my hand, was urging me to the car parked on the side of the runway, calling after the twins who were currently thanking the life-size animals that had come to my rescue with evident stars in their eyes.

Sonic looked over Travis' shoulder and exchanged a glance with me, smirking and quickly winking in the process. My heart went warm, and I gingerly waved in his direction with a limp hand.

I wanted to race over to his side and thank him in the most sincere way imaginable. The amount of gratitude I had for the blue hedgehog was infinite, and I hadn't fully realized it until now. He'd given me my world back. There weren't enough words or tears in me to fully express how glad I was that a soul like his existed. He was my hero, pure, selfless, kind, and charmingly understanding.

But alas, I soon found myself far from the group of characters that had brought me home, and was instead placed against the cushions of the car's backseat, my parents going to both sides of the front doors, and Emma and Travis rushing over and stumbling in after me. Through the windows, I could make out my grandfather's form kneeling down and speaking to Sonic, Amy, Knuckles, and Tails. He then departed and headed in our direction.

I wrapped my arms around myself and huddled into the corner. My face pressed against the icy glass of the passenger window and I looked out towards the sky again.

It was funny to see the sky now and realize that I really had been all the way up there. No, beyond there. I'd traveled past the frosted clouds and cool blue haze, and touched the stars. I was the captive of a mad scientist and a confusing black hedgehog. It was terrifying, but sometimes hinted a bit of magic.

Something resonated within me. My greener eye itched slightly.

_Shadow..._

The edges of the world blurred over, all audio dipping underwater, and the next thing I felt was the car reversing before pulling away altogether, and we then drove onward, deeper and deeper into Station Square's winter.

**(Travis' POV)**

I don't think any of us quite knew what to say. We just smiled, and cried, and smiled some more.

Once we were all strapped into our seats, and Emma and I were still in a mind scramble over the fact that we actually _talked_ to Sonic the Hedgehog, Grandpa came lingering along the outside of the car, tapping the window in the backseat. Being that he was nearest to my side, I maneuvered my hand around the safety lock and allowed him to climb in, much to my bewilderment

I didn't realize he was going to abandon the helicopter he'd arrived in, along with the soldiers accompanying him, and return to the house with us. But then it started to make sense. He was here to welcome Rachel back and share the love that had been idle for so long.

But also, he was coming along so he could tell her about his condition.

Him and I were the only ones silent the entire way back home.

**(Rachel's POV)**

We were there so quickly that I wasn't sure whether to be stunned, or grateful. The difference in temperature between the crisp outside world and inside of my home was jarring enough to make my head spin on its aching shoulders. I stumbled over the patio and crept through the front door, hunched over with my mother's shawl draped around me. My eyes were fixed forward, reverberating between all the decor and doors that led to different rooms. Shadows danced at the cue of shifting light, and everything breathed with life in a beckoning welcome. It started out all incredibly foreign, and the more time I was given to absorb the array of colors and smells, the more my memory strengthened to the point that I might as well have only been gone a single day. If only.

My joy was still swelling with the more my strained vision soaked in the environment. This was my home, and I was inside its walls once again. I had finally reached my oasis.

I looked towards the white plush stairs and examined each step up unto the second story. My lips curled in delight when I noticed a sealed door a little ways off to the left. It was the one that led to my room. Right there I was about ready to claw my way up the banister and go bursting into the room, and then proceed to simultaneously giggle and sob into my bed sheets for as long as I needed to. But any and all celebration was ceased immediately when I felt my mother tap my shoulder, and then point in the direction of the living room once she'd caught my attention.

She was happy. I knew that much. Out of everyone who was in the car on the way home, including our Grandfather who'd tagged along for undisclosed reasons, she had been the one to gush the most. And now, her body was rigid and her irises became cold and hard like marble. A zap of her seriousness struck me down to the core.

"Rachel,we need to talk," she said, in a way that was intended to be sincere but instead came off as borderline threatening.

With a final peek towards my beloved chambers, both of my hands were suddenly taken by each twin, who I looked back and forth between, only to be greeted with reassuring, but also somber smiles.

Grandpa stepped past us and entered the living room first, followed by my parents, and then the kids and I entered. All was silent as my siblings and I sat down on the couch, and the adults stood before us before mother and father dispersed to different sides of the room and left our grandfather to take the stage.

I was still holding my brother and sister's hands in mine. Travis' soft palm closed around mine more tightly than Emma's.

I lifted my head and peered into my grandfather's face, unsure of what was yet to come.

A few moments of unsettling quietness dragged by, and I was about ready to take a stab at the ice and ask my grandfather if he was going to ever sit down. But I could see in his expression that comfort was the least of his worries. He clearly had a lot to say. They all did, as well as I. I had just been hoping it wouldn't have happened this soon. My time to enjoy the return home felt like it was ripping away at the seams. Soon it would be gone completely, and this was not a time where I wanted to be bitter about not getting my way.

"Rachel..." Grandfather spoke with a shudder, his eyes darting down to the lines seperating the floorboards. "Having you here with us once again...being able to see your young, beautiful face and know that you're home safe is one of the most relieving things I've ever experienced. I know you feel this is the wrong time to press on certain issues that we, as a family have been having since you were taken from us. You probably want to smile, perhaps cry, and overall just simply indulge in your escape from evil and relax at last, being that you're out of harm's way."

I felt like it was almost rude to agree with him, so I only smiled softly.

He rang his hands together until the veins bulged. "We tried many things in order to get you back. I still have yet to hear anything from Agent Rouge, but you undoubtedly ran into her at some point during your capture since she had come to rescue you, correct?"

I nodded once, feeling my heart drop. Now that I thought about it, I never knew what had become of the bat that worked for G.U.N. I remembered how I'd selfishly left her behind to save my own skin, and the memories quaked my emotions. I could only hope that she wasn't still trapped on the Egg Carrier, and that she'd somehow managed to tear out of there like a bat out of hell...more or less.

"I knew that entrusting Sonic and his friends to finish the job would be a risky decision, but I felt I had no other choice. They knew the culprits behind the kidnapping, or at least one of them, better than I did, and have yet to ever fail a mission. So I sacrificed our planet's greatest heroes for the sake of bringing you back. I was willing to do just about anything to get you away from Shadow the Hedgehog, because I knew time was of the essence and if I didn't hurry, he could very well break you."

The color drained from my face once I heard the venom laced in his voice at the mentioning of the artificial life-form. My smile dropped instantly.

"Well..." I started sheepishly, "I mean Eggman is just as in the wrong as Shadow is, right? He's pretty ruthless on his own. In fact, he was very cruel, frightening, and I even at one point took it upon myself to choke-"

"We all know Eggman is a horrible person," Grandpa interrupted. "But he is nothing compared to that horrible, vile excuse for an experiment. It was him who took you away in the first place. He attacked you on the train, and zapped you out of Earth's very existence."

"Pardon me, but that horrible, vile excuse for an experiment saved me the night before from a bunch of perverts all because I stupidly decided to travel into Westopolis alone. He attacked me on the subway because he recognized me after I called him in order to draw his attention away from targeting Dad," I said, eyeing my father. "I told him that I was related to you. I gave him my name. I did it to keep all of you safe. So in a way, I brought all this on myself. I share the blame."

I then paused and gulped air. I couldn't believe that I was rambling like this. Was I..._defending_ Shadow the Hedgehog?

"Rachel," Grandpa said again, this time hammering his words in with stern love. "You being kidnapped is not your fault. I don't know how much interaction you had with Shadow but clearly he's done a bit of brainwashing if he's made you think that you were the cause of all this. Don't listen to anything he says. His intentions have never been good."

"And yours have?" I blurted before I could stop myself.

The room went still. I was instantly uncomfortable, but I went ahead and justified my bold question. "Grandpa, if anyone's done any brainwashing, it's you. You took it upon yourself to tell me how much of a monster Shadow was and how he was the antithesis of good when I was seven years old. I was a child, I would have believed anything you said to me, and maybe you knew that. But you failed to tell me all the positive things that Shadow has done not just for individuals, but for our whole planet. He's split down the middle, and you only showed me the darker side. By all means, Shadow and I are not friends. We're not even on good terms, as you can imagine why. But we had just enough_ interaction_ that he saved my life many times. I gave him hell every chance I was given, and it was utterly pointless. So I don't know what use you find in doing the same when you're here, and he's somewhere far away."

I took a deep breath, as I'd spoken really fast and wanted to allow my grandfather time to understand what I was saying. But he looked back at me, presumably heartbroken. And then his face became scarlet with rage.

"Shadow saved your life after he was the one to endanger it, Rachel. What is this, are you having Stockholm Syndrome? Do you really think a murderer like him has any sort of redeemable quality?"

"Who are you to call him a murderer?! What is it that your troops do?!" I shouted, having lost my temper. I jumped off the couch, pulling my hands free from my siblings' tangled fingers, and glared into his face. My parents gasped my name and Mother held a hand forward, begging me to simmer down. But I didn't break eye contact with the G.U.N. Commander. Both our eyes of divided colors squinted in anger.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they killed their own share of innocent lives too, given none of you seem to take time to know a person's story well enough before judging whether they're evil or innocent!"

Grandpa pointed at me with a quivering finger. "Now hold on just a second-"

"G.U.N. gunned down your best friend, after Shadow had tried his hardest to save her. You blame _him_ for her death and then go and employ yourself for_ them_. Am I missing something here?"

As soon as these words left my mouth, his eyes possessed a storm that I didn't know existed. He reeled away from me slowly and never looked away.

"...It doesn't matter what I say to you, does it? I'm sorry you feel that way, Rachel. I understand if you hate me. But I never told you anything that was a lie."

"I could never hate you. I just wish you hadn't hid such a large remainder of the truth."

"Well that ends now, starting with my next statement. Since you're here, and I am no longer required to have the proper health to order people around and execute various plans, I can start my much-needed treatment and see if I can live past these upcoming months."

I frowned, my temper still flared beyond tamable reaches. "What treatment, what are you talking about?"

"Chemotherapy and radiationtherapy. I have a tumor in my brain, and if I don't treat it I could very well die."

I felt my whole body become a glacier. My mouth opened to pant a bit, and I shook my head disbelievingly.

"If anyone's brain needs washing, it's mine. My life depends on it," he said quietly. "In fact, I expected to be dead long before you ever touched Earth again. I came to accept that I'd probably die searching for you, and that I would never see you again. So having you here now, yell at me and call me a liar and scold me for tainting your innocent mind and crucify me for my career choices, is truly a miracle."

I shook my head again. This wasn't what I wanted. This is not how I pictured coming home would be. I hated that the best of it was already over. The dust had settled, and reality came peeking through. It was worse than what I'd expected worst to be. I couldn't handle it, I felt like I would suffocate.

I tore out of the room and ran up the stairs, abandoning Mother's shawl halfway and leaving it to flow back down to the lower level. With a swift turn I found myself in my room, slamming the door behind me with enough force to send the many mysteriously placed crayon drawings clambering along the floor. I sank down to my knees and breathed heavily.

The nightmare was over, but no one ever promised that a dream was there waiting on the other end of spectrum. This was something that wouldn't go away, and it was just getting harder and more unbearable by the second. I hated that my Grandpa had fed me a malicious version of the truth at such a young age. I hated how he had to fall deathly ill and spoil my joy. I hated myself for yelling at him despite the amount of effort and love he poured into finding me, and after he jeopardized his only ticket to survival because of me. I hated being the one to drive everyone to near insanity due to their stress and uncertainty. I hated that I was the spider at the center of the web.

It wasn't Shadow who was evil. Neither was it my grandfather. It was me. I was a sick, twisted individual.

I reached underneath my hair and unhooked the chain of the necklace, letting it spill over my disheveled clothes and then onto the floor. I stared at it with tear-filled eyes, wishing everything would go back to normal.

As much as I tried to fight it, I wondered where Shadow was at that very moment, and what he was thinking about. I wish he could see, with his own eyes, that it was over. Even though I'd escaped, he'd still found a way to win. Maybe figuratively, I'd always be in his clutches.

I had a feeling this would never end.

Misery would always triumph.

**(Sonic's POV)**

_-one week later-_

"After a very long five months of gripping suspicion, Rachel Tower, daughter of Mary and David Tower and granddaughter of Commander Abraham Tower of the General Unit of Nations, was retrieved from the faraway depths of space by none other than Sonic the Hedgehog!"

_click._

"According to anonymous resources, the X-Tornado was seen landing among a rural area outside the city on the morning of December 24th. It is to our knowledge that this was indeed the landing that brought Rachel Tower back to our world."

_click._

"As you can see by the number of people behind me rallied together in the street, many who followed the Tower story for the last half of 2017, have gathered around outside their rumored home, demanding answers, and that Rachel Tower come forth and share her story with the world. They refuse to leave until they are rewarded with at least a little bit information regarding her kidnapping."

_click._

"So you mean to tell me, Jerry, Sonic and his friends disappeared without warning, leaving Station Square vulnerable to outside attacks, all for the sake of one little ankle-biting teenage girl?"

"Well, I believe in this day in age, it's all about your name and what place you have in the world, not necessarily what you've contributed to society. This girl was just another person, nothing quite special, who'd done nothing for nobody, but her surname is what makes her even slightly interesting. See what I mean?"

"Yes, I very much do."

A viewing audience cheered in agreement.

_click._

"Many videos on the internet have surfaced of people, particularly teenage children, reenacting, or rather _parodying_ the kidnapping of Rachel Tower by her unknown captor dubbed as Shadow the Hedgehog, some for drama purposes, though mostly for...rather comedic purposes.

A video was cued, showing a girl at least eighteen years old, wearing a scraggly brown wig and squealing at the sight of a black Labrador puppy, adorned with multiple toilet paper rolls taped to his ears, all painted black and red, as he came padding into the room with his tongue lolling out. The Rachel fake began scrambling through her house, shouting, "Help me, help me! Stop the train! Stop the choo-choo! The big bad hog is gonna eat me!"

The person holding the camera snickered.

_click._

The middle-aged talk show host rolled his eyes. "I mean come on, what did this girl expect? After giving her name, she practically gift-wrapped herself for this grabby, gun-wielding hedgehog. Could she really be surprised by the outcome? Is she that dense?"

"I completely agree. I mean wow, sixteen year old girls getting stolen by hedgehogs three times smaller than them. I'm pretty sure I saw this once in a game. Except it was with a dragon and a princess, and it was up to some plumber to jump on mushrooms and turtles, or something like, that in order to save her."

"Did he at least use spin dash?"

_click._ The screen went black.

"This is nauseating," Tails sighed, tossing the remote to the side. "It's New Years Eve, and still the only thing I can find on television is more reporters and now normal everyday citizens hounding the Tower family. It's absolutely disgusting. Why is it so hard to leave them in peace and let them cope?"

I cocked an eye open from my spot on the opposite side of the room, shrugging. "I guess to the media, Rachel's story is the real firework show. It's not everyday a human is plucked off the face of the planet by someone who looks like a suicidal version of me."

Then Knuckles, his cheeks bulging with chewy chocolate morsels after having taken a bite of cookie, emerged from the kitchen area and scowled at the television set before him.

"How come effery time we all get menthioned on The-V, it'th alwayth, 'Thonic and hith friendth,' or, 'Thonic and the otherth animalth.' I'm my own perthon! Don't they know thath?!"

"Hey, own person, you might want to swallow your food before trying to have an intelligent argument," I teased. The echidna steamed from the ears and downed the soggy remains of his dessert, wiping the crumbs from his lower lip.

"You always talk with your mouth full, you hypocrite!" he accused, much to my delight. There was no greater joy in the world than getting Knuckles' big boy knickers in a twist. He continued with, "Let's not forget that you practically showered us in your chewed up chili dog mush at Twinkle Park a while back all because Tails suggested we go swimming."

"Pft, whatever. I was purposely being a slob so Amy would leave me alone. She kept going on and on about how it was a _date_, and that we were going to watch the stars_ together_, and that I was her knight in shining_ fur_, and blah blah blah something about 'oooohh, cute couples get in free!'" I declared, kicking my voice pitch up a notch to imitate hers.

Knuckles crossed his arms, bellowing in laughter. "You'd know a lot about cute couples, wouldn't you, weenie boy?"

I half-lidded my eyes at his remark. "I don't know, why don't you ask the Master Emerald?"

Through the corner of my eye, I could see Tails run his finger through the maze of buttons on the remote, clearly lost in a heavy cloud of thought. He finally broke away and immersed back into the real world, his ear twitching.

"Sonic, I don't want to seem like I'm overthinking the possibility of danger, but do you think it's safe to leave the Tower family alone tonight? I mean...now that Christmas is over, I almost feel like Eggman will try to make a grand entrance like usual, and catch everyone off-guard since it'd be in the middle of a nation-wide celebration."

I shook my head. "Nah, New Years or no New Years, Eggman is way too far away to catch up. His delay will be far greater than a measly six days, especially when they're low on their supply of Chaos Emeralds. A lack of power means a lack of speed."

"But...he has Shadow..." Tails dropped his head in worry. "Like I've said before, Shadow never gives up until he finishes what he's started. He's going to make his comeback, and deliver it ten times worse than before. I don't want anyone to get hurt that way."

Knuckles, who had been zeroing in on me from afar, planning his attack, dropped his readied fists and puzzled for a moment. "I wouldn't be so sure about that. I think he cares about Rachel Tower more than any of us would expect. So it's not like he's out to get her."

I sat up, suddenly alert. "What do you mean? When has that ever been proven?"

"Well...he didn't exactly put up a fight when I found them together-"

"Didn't he though?!" I gasped, now on my feet. "You mean to tell me you guys didn't have a big epic smackdown? Oh come on, he nearly got us all killed when I was going to rescue her myself. He was completely possessive."

"That's funny, because he practically handed her over to me when I found them. No fighting, no arguing. Just dropped her right into my arms when she was dying. Though that could be why he did it in the first place. That guy may be on our bad side but we can't ignore that he's clearly gone through some changes. Whether they're for better or for worse, we might not ever know. It's all a bit foggy."

I folded my arms. "I'm not completely against the idea of Shadow spontaneously having a good side to him. But I'm curious as to why he'd care at all about Rachel. Maybe it's in relation to Maria, since they're both young girls put in situations of peril. Rachel may not be ready to hand out information about what she went through while she was taken, but maybe we should talk to her, and at least ask about Shadow and possibly Eggman, so we can know what to expect when they do make their return. We won't tell her that's our reason, though. We won't tell anyone. It'll cause an uproar."

Both my friends nodded in agreement.

Somewhere beyond the double doors, within the kitchen, the sound of porcelain plates hitting the tile floor and shattering caused us all to forget what we were saying and rock our heads over in the direction of the noise. Amy had been in the back mindlessly baking vanilla cakes and pies stuffed with fruit, to accompany the cookies she'd extracted from the oven back on Christmas Day. We all assumed she had simply dropped something and thought nothing of it, though called her name once to make sure she was unharmed.

No response.

"Oh no, Amy please tell me you didn't drop the cherry pie!" Knuckles exclaimed. "Anything but the cherry pie!"

Still no response.

"...Amy?"

And then, an ear-shattering scream lashed throughout our home and shook it on its roots.

**(Rachel's POV)**

From the window, Mom shooed away the last retreating journalist that had been camping out on our lawn, whirling around and grunting with disdain.

"I swear, this is harassment! It should be illegal!" she declared, tugging at her hair with one palm. "I have half a mind to call down some nice cops to ward off all these pesky unwanted visitors. And if nothing else, maybe I should boil some water and toss it from the top floor! That'll really rain on their parade!"

"Good gosh, Mom," I said, peering up from a magazine that had only maintained my attention since there were no articles about me, but rather each page was crammed with flatly ornate columns of juicy celebrity gossip. "Let's try and wait until the holidays are over before risking getting arrested."

Mom huffed as she circled the dining room table, collecting dishes covered in leftover sauce and unwanted vegetables. "Well at least the heat of scorching water would melt their noses right off their nosy faces!" With a stack of dishes in her arms, she made a beeline to the sink in the kitchen, minding the Christmas Tree that lacked any sort of decoration except a single white string of bulbs. It was in fact very tragic looking.

Christmas had literally come and gone before I'd even had time to absorb some of that good ol' holiday cheer that I was so used to. There were no cookies, or presents, or tinsel or carols looping on the radio. My parents had literally run to the store on Christmas Eve the day I'd returned, and plucked the first tree they saw to bring home and toss rubbish at. Why they had nearly skipped this year's Christmas because of my absence, I did not know. It meant more to Emma and Travis than it did to me. And now they realized that Santa wasn't real because he failed to deliver come the morning after my return. I blamed myself for destroying their imagination.

But granted, I wasn't totally disappointed. As cliche as it was to think, as long as I had my family, I didn't need a new car or cell-phone to satisfy my interests. Though I don't think I could've said the same for the twins. And it wouldn't have killed anyone for us to at least see some snow.

My eyes glazed over and the words pasted in the magazine became one giant, blurry color vomit. I finally set it aside, lifted myself from the lounging chair and made my way towards the stairs.

"Rachel?"

My foot hovered over the first step, I turned just as my mother enveloped me in her warm embrace, to which I made a surprised noise before laughing softly. Her pinky moved down the grooves of my spinal cord, and I couldn't help but melt into the soothing comfort. She wrapped her arms around me tighter.

"Sweetheart, I know this has been a tough year," she said, resting her chin atop my head. "I've been crying myself to sleep every night. Even though you're back, it still pains me to imagine what you had to endure, and how there's nothing I can do to take back that it ever occurred."

"It's okay, Mom. It's going to be okay," I assured her. "Please, no more crying. No more feeling sorry for me. I just want us to be happy and move forward. It'll take time but the only way we can do so is if we try to forget it ever happened."

I felt her mouth stretch into a smile when she planted a kiss on my scalp. "I know, I don't mean to bring it up so often. I'll be sure to stop immediately. And just remember, if you ever want to talk to your father and I about it, we're here for you. If you need therapy, we'll be happy to supply it. Anything you desire, you can have. All you have to do is say when."

She then drew back and studied my face closely, blinking away the water lining her eyelashes. "Although, I do think we need to schedule a visit to an optometrist as soon as the holiday craze clears up. We'll see if he can fix what's happened to your eye. You don't feel any pain, do you?"

"Not a lick," I confirmed. "And if it isn't something that can be fixed, that's fine. We can just invest into some colored contacts."

She grinned. "I won't ask how it happened, I just hope it wasn't too terrible. Personally think you look just as stunning as you did before, and it's incredibly unique."

"You're just trying to make the best of a bad situation."

She sighed. "Yes, well maybe I am. I understand if you want to mask it but I hope you do so for psychological reasons. Not because you think it looks ugly."

I smirked lazily. "I promise I won't." I then pulled away from her grip and made my way up the stairs. "Goodnight, Mom. I'm going to sleep. I love you."

She reluctantly returned the bidding, followed by a big, "Happy New Years! I love you too!" before heading off to her own bedroom, and upon hearing her artificial cheer I felt a pinch of guilt. Mom probably was hoping I'd spend tonight with her and the rest of the family, staying up and counting down the seconds to midnight as we did for every New Years. But I felt too worn. _Maybe if I take a nap now I can come out in a few hours and watch the fireworks in my pajamas. It is only nine after all. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to stop being the worst daughter in the world for a while._

But my mind and heart were still feeling sluggish. Strangers from every corner of the world were either showering their distant support or wreaking havoc on social websites and entertainment outlets with critique and even coldblooded mockery over what had happened to me. I could see how pathetic it must've looked from their point of view, and in a way, it was. It was very pathetic. But I had a story to share. I experienced things that not a single one of them would expect, or fathom. I just wasn't ready to share that story yet, and frankly, I don't think they were ready for it either. I was afraid and uncertain of how society would digest my information. Getting kidnapped by a hedgehog was one thing, but getting kissed by him was on its own level of ridiculousness. If If the media ever got their hands on that, who knows how they'd handle it. Their heads would probably explode. I think it was safe to say that was a secret I'd take with me to the grave.

However, there were some elements of my adventure that might have been relatively useful to the world. Like the tales about the planets I visited. That alone could be the revision of every science textbook across the globe. It would be just like when Sonic and the gang had first been discovered on Earth.

But one thing was for certain...I really was disgusted by the attention I was getting. In fact, I loathed it with every fiber of my being. I was forced to ostracize myself and take my family down with me.

Though, I really wasn't sure if, given the opportunity, I'd take back everything that had happened. I probably would, but there would be some definite hesitation. I hadn't learned much, except to appreciate what I have because it could evaporate at any second. I would probably reverse time and change a few of the decisions I made so I could alter history, for my grandfather's sake. Not mine. This decision would pertain to his cancer and nothing more.

I hadn't seen or heard from him since I'd fled to my room the morning of my return. He'd left immediately after, either to respect that I wanted my space or because he wanted distance as well. All I heard from Dad was that his treatment would begin sometime next week, and I'd decided I wanted to be there for him then. After all he had done for me, he deserved that and so much more.

After entering my room, I walked slowly over to the bedside table near the window, where I had wrapped Maria's necklace around my lamp, and tapped at the heart with my index finger.

It had taken me some time to pick up, but I'd noticed a strange feeling that occurred within me whenever I touched, saw, or even thought about the necklace. That aside, I didn't think I deserved to wear it...not after what I'd put my Grandfather through. It was an insult to Maria's memory. Selfish. Yet I still remained admiring it from afar, wishing I could meet the wearer it was intended for.

"You've been through so much with me...do you know that?" I asked it quietly, flicking the cool surface of the charm once, before transferring my eyes out towards the night sky and the city lights set ablaze. The sound of people bustling about and cheering was distinguishable even from within the thick glass. I wish I could join them in celebration, but my presence alone would draw attention away from the festivities and I'd be chased back into my home. I had to remain from the inside looking out, until everyone finally settled down and I could reenter the world once again.

I found myself fixed in a trance, swimming in a sea of emotions studded with stars and streaks of black and red, until I eventually shook it off and proceeded towards my closet so I could find myself a set of pajamas.

_If I'm to be stuck in any room, at least it's my own, and not a small white cubicle in space._

This thought alone nearly sent me to my knees. My kidnapping was still an extremely sensitive topic that I was trying with all the power I had in me to block out. Not because it sent me careening into a state of despair, but rather my stress would reach implosive levels, just because of my worrying and wondering what had ever happened to Shadow the Hedgehog, and then a bundle of inquiries would explode, all beaming across my cerebrum and demanding to know why I even cared in the first place.

I had to let go, that's all there was to it. I had to put the past behind me.

I would've loved to have started right then and there. But then the lights went dead behind me. A million and one screams pierced the air from outside.

It took a moment to realize how utterly terrified I'd become over the course of a mere second. But with my mind slowly disengaging from my choices of night attire and suddenly devouring accusations of the absolute worst, I couldn't help but cautiously bring my head around to look towards the empty room, now bathed in an empty, haunting darkness, and expect something to appear and maul me from behind.

_Oh for goodness sake, what are you so distressed over? It's a power outage. It's just a power outage. Relax, Rachel. Something like this was bound to happen, what with all the partying going on outside._

But my heart was not convinced. I turned around and sank my body back into the melted black of my closet, eyes wild and afraid. My pulse was racing. Something wasn't right. I could feel it deep down in my core, that something was just not _right._

_What am I so afraid of? I'm here in my home, in my room no less. This is my sanctuary, remember? No one's here to get me,_ I helplessly rambled on in my head. _The only people who know where I live are the-_

My mouth went dry.

_...Reporters._

Oh no...they showed my house nearly everyday on the news. Why should I be surprised if someone used that to their advantage so they could make me even more famous by murdering me.

But the rate my heart was going suggested something far worse. Yes, worse than a murderer.

_Please, tell me this is just a prank someone's playing on me. Or a burglar looking to rob us blind, even. Tell me, in the name of all that is left of my sanity, it isn't-_

I placed a hand over my mouth to stifle my choppy breathing, camouflaging myself between some hanging blouses. But I couldn't hold back the gasp of sheer horror that escaped my throat when I saw the elongated shadow of a jagged silhouette bleeding across the floor from outside, lit by the colors of explosions behind it.

_No...no..._

I was hardly given any time to comprehend the situation. He blasted through the window, exposing the sounds of aimless delusion and panic all warping together beyond the walls. Where the shadow had once been, there was an even more dangerous one in its place. One that set my fears on fire. He lifted from his crouch and looked around the room carefully.

It had not been an incredibly long time since I'd seen him, but the sight alone of his intimidating stature caused something within me to react, as if he was a myth I'd only ever heard about and now he was here in front of me with dangerous intent.

Wait. That's how this had all begun.

"Enough of these games. There's no use in hiding, Rachel," Shadow spoke in a darkly dipped tone of voice. He took agonizingly slow steps towards the bed, observing carefully, as if I stupid enough to hide under the covers. "I know you're in here. It'd be wise to come out now instead of making me find you."

I would've blacked out right then and there if the energy I was radiating just in order to quiver violently hadn't been enough to keep me upright. With a palm pressed over my gaping mouth, I silently wielded away the hedgehog that had plagued my nightmares, hoping that this was all a nightmare on its own.

But when I blinked constantly and saw that his form wasn't going away, I knew it was real. It was happening all over again.

Except maybe this time, I could end up dead.

**(Shadow's POV)**

I couldn't depict the different cries of English the people were shouting from outside even though they were still within my earshot's boundaries. I was completely numbed by the fact that I was standing in Rachel's room, examining Rachel's bed. The planet could've stopped rotating and I would still have been too distracted. I looked around cautiously, expecting the hyperactive teenager to detonate with a scream at any given second. But it remained dangerously quiet. I ceased my beckoning and listened closely for her breathing, but came up with nothing.

As I turned to cross the floor, I noticed a familiar jewel sparkling in the blurry moonlight. Maria's necklace lay twined around a white lamp shade, hanging off the rippled edge and swinging ever so slightly.

My brows hardened into an intense angle. She had been here after all. The movement on the charm was a dead giveaway. I had expected no less.

I then looked up and noticed the closet, which was open, though incredibly dark. I squinted, and tilted my head to see if I could make out any sort of form, but still found nothing distinctive. I needed a source of light in order to confirm.

Perhaps there was a light inside the closet.

With swift steps I made my way to the entry, groping the air in search of a string to pull. And after a few empty attempts, my gloved fingers scraped past a razor thin thread that I nearly missed. I wrapped my hand around it and gave it a sharp tug.

Nothing.

Ah yes, the power lines were cut. But oh well, nothing a little Chaos Energy can't solve.

I summoned my power, feeling the embers glow, and tried again.

White light blasted the whole area. My eyes screwed downwards, and met the strangely ambiguously colored ones of my former hostage.

Seeing Rachel's face again, even shelved by surrounding clothes, flooded me with relief, and a curious tickle of joy. But I remembered my motive, and didn't let my natural feelings falter the mission.

The young human's hand was plastered over her mouth, and she removed it immediately upon being discovered. Oddly enough she didn't scream, or gasp, or yell for help, but instead looked at me wide-eyed, with one iris swirling in unnatural brightness, no air entering or escaping her.

I finally opened my mouth to say her name in the most comforting way I could muster. But I was interrupted after being knocked down from the side by the pegs of a wooden chair.

I hit the ground with a thud before flipping over and looking into the face of my attacker. Needless to say, I was shocked.

A small human boy.

"Rachel, run!" he shouted, delirious and afraid. Rachel did not obey.

"Travis! Travis, stop!" she screamed, flinging herself out and shoving the chair out of his hand. He still had it raised over his head as if preparing to strike me again, and it hit the ground loudly, not too far from me. The two humans wrestled for a moment before Rachel had him by the arm and yanked him towards the door.

"Come on, we have to get out of here!" she yelled, kicking open the door. They both ran down the hall, fading out of sight.

I shook away the pain, still unpleasantly surprised by the child's strength, and brought myself to my feet.

"I don't think so! Come back here, Rachel!" I yelled, racing to the door and calling after her as she rushed down the stairs with the boy in tow. My heart stopped when I realized that she was headed towards the front door. "Rachel, no!"

I held a hand out towards her. "Do not go outside! Do you hear me? **DO NOT GO OUTSIDE!**"

She pried open the front door, looked back at me momentarily in uncertainty, and then slammed it behind her.

I swore loudly and skidded down the staircase banister, ignoring the shouting from a man and woman standing adjacent from me in the bordering room.

I assumed this was her family. That would mean the boy must've been her younger brother.

Taking him out of the house was a one-way ticket to his death. It was a terrible idea. She was going to get him killed.

I had to hurry before it was too late.

**(Rachel's POV)**

Once we were outside I whirled around and grabbed Travis by his puny shoulders, jolting him back and forth and staring him down with an acidic glare.

"Travis, what were you thinking?! You could've gotten yourself hurt! You can't just go attacking Shadow like that!"

"I-I heard the window break! I knew you were in danger, you would've been hurt if I hadn't come in! He was about to attack_ you_!" he retaliated, his eyes brimming with tears. "That was him, wasn't it?! That was Shadow the Hedgehog! He came back to take you away again!"

I shook my head, still side-stepping to get farther away from our home.

"It doesn't matter, Travis! I'd rather put my life at risk than yours! Don't do something like that again!"

Travis pushed away my arms and looked towards the street where clusters of people were scrambling across the pavement.

"Clearly, they saw him too! He must've been the one to cause the lights to go out!"

But then a voice boomed over us, shaking the concrete beneath our wobbling ankles, and we looked up and were met by the eyes of a crazed scientist steering a large mech.

"It wasn't Shadow who caused the lights to go out, and it isn't him your pesky citizens are running from," he cackled wickedly.

I didn't have a moment's time to register what I was witnessing. Because from the side of the mech, a slot burst open, and from its quarters, a large claw guided by a cord snaked throughout the winter air before scooping downwards and snagging my little brother off his feet and into the sky.

Travis' socks wiggled helplessly as he struggled against the steel grip. I cried his name desperately, only to be answered by Eggman's maniacal laughter.

"PUT HIM DOWN!" I squealed at the top of my lungs. "DON'T YOU DARE HURT HIM! PUT HIM DOWN RIGHT NOW!"

Eggman only chortled on, gripping his large belly as it expanded and contracted. "You don't need to dare me to do anything, Rachel Pain-In-The-Rump Tower. Because any pain I cause him, I will be more than happy to inflict willingly! But at least this time it isn't you who's the damsel in distress! Right?!"

I growled through my teeth and began storming towards the base of the mech. In a state of mindless fury, I readied myself to attack its legs and hopefully send the deranged evil genius flying out of his cockpit, even if it was more than likely a lost cause.

But a hand wrapped itself around one of mine and pulled me off to the side. The all too familiar electricity gave away the owner's identity.

Shadow proceeded to tug me down the street, away from my home, away from my brother, and away from Dr. Eggman.

I clawed at him as he dragged me along, blurting insults of protest and calling him all sorts of names I didn't even know existed.

We ran past the mob of people, most of which parted when they saw who we were. Explosions were heard and several screams stabbed my eardrums.

Shadow finally stopped and spun around. He eyed me angrily.

"Rachel, listen to me! I didn't come here to kidnap you, I came here to save you. You _and_ your family!"

No words left my mouth. Just shaking ensued, followed by a gasp as another screech of fire shot through the night air like a whizzing bullet.

"Eggman has his sights set to kill and you just led one of his primary targets right into his trap!"

He then reached forward and grabbed me by my chin, pulling it dangerously close to his face. All the electric touch that I was used to was faint, and instead centered at the core of my heart. It was pumping me full of strange waves.

"Last time I asked you to listen to me it was for your own good. But now there are other lives at stake. So let's put aside our differences for them, okay? This has absolutely nothing to do with the Chaos Emerald. Not anymore."

He sighed heavily. "I'm going to try my hardest to protect you and not fail as I have before. But for now, I can't guarantee anything. So just in case it wasn't painfully obvious, know that I really care about you Rachel."

His crimson eyes narrowed.

"I_ love_ you."

And then the waves ceased. Everything became surreal.

He seemed to doze away into another world for a moment before shaking free and pinching me in his grip once again. "I'm not looking to hurt anyone and I'm not driven by self-gain this time. I'm doing this for you. I don't want to hurt you anymore. If anything I want to do you this last favor should I forget who you are after tonight. Do you understand? I need to get you away from here, and also keep the Doctor from vaporizing the ones you care about. Your grandfather is on his way. Sonic and the others are on their way. But I'm not going to pay them any attention. This is just you and me now. Someone will end up dead, while others, severely injured. And that's if things go _well._ So work with me."

I was at a loss for words. I just nodded several times.

Without saying anything else, the hedgehog scooped me into his arms and shot upwards into the sky.

In the distance, Eggman was yelling threats into the microphone installed somewhere inside his pit.

"Everyone, listen and listen good. You've all got until midnight!" he laughed. "MIDNIGHT! AND THEN IT'S THE END! THIS BOY DIES ALONG WITH EVERY LAST INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM YOU'VE EVER HAD!"

Those words resonated within me.

_Midnight._

_This boy dies._

_Should I forget who you are after tonight._

_Grandfather is on his way. Sonic and the others are on their way._

_I love you._

And that's when I realized the extent of my anger.

I was ready to kill The Doctor myself, or die trying.

Alas, here marks the beginning of the end.


	32. Overshadowed

**(Sonic's POV)**

"Oh, this is just terrible!" Amy cried in a pitch that almost cancelled out with the distant sirens stirring from below. "What are we going to do?! We only have but a few hours before Eggman _murders_ that boy and sets off Doomsday!"

The X Tornado blasted through all the surrounding azure clouds, the glass of the windows chilling as we rose higher and higher until the city of Station Square was nothing but a maze of synthetic starlight beneath us. From our seats, Knuckles, Amy and I all moved our eyes into the direction of what we could only assume was Rachel Tower's home, caught up in the nest of concrete and pasty black rooves.

In the street stood a large, ugly, gray and red robot, with lights glittering at the ends of its limbs. It had one claw extended, and in its grasp, a writhing blob. We knew the shape was undoubtedly Travis Tower. My teeth scraped together angrily now that I was viewing it with my own eyes.

"This is a new low, even for Eggman. Threatening the lives of human kids? He must've gotten way desperate," I said with my nose slammed against the cold glass.

Knuckles had been peering from behind one of my shoulders, with Amy doing the same at the other. He moved away and packed his fists together.

"As much as I'd love to jump down and teach fatty some manners, I don't think we can make that call without risking the boy's life. We can't just go around smashing things all willy nilly like we usually do. Or at least I can't," he said. "One irrational move and that boy will get crushed without hesitation. Unless of course Eggman's just bluffing..."

"He isn't," Amy cut him off quickly, her voice oozing with disgust. "At this point, he'll kill just about anyone to prove that he has superior power, especially when it comes to demonstrating it to the people of Station Square. We all know he has a weird fixation with destroying this city and building his empire on its ashes. He wants all of us to fear him. He hasn't learned a thing from past mistakes."

My body went rigid as a vision of a post-apocalyptic Station Square transitioned through my head. It was a devilish bonfire. I shook it away at once, realizing it was no time to let horrible outcomes stain my natural optimism.

"We shouldn't be fooled. This is his old formula and just another day; we've beat him every time, and he's well aware of that. That's why he's trying to scare us, and that's why he's resorted to something this extreme. It's not going to work. It never does."

Tails dove the plane so that it was now carefully maneuvering between the buildings. We watched all the panic swirling below as the citizens fought to escape to beyond the city limits with everything they had, and some, with nothing at all. Many were sandwiched between cars and entryways, particularly those leading into the underground subways. It was utter chaos and almost painful to look at.

There were headlines bleeding across screens in the center of town, right above the frosted roads. In red letters, all caps, it said:

**MANDATORY EVACUATION.**

It was mundane and simple, but that somehow made it all the more unsettling. I turned and caught sight of a few screens that displayed footage captured from earlier during Eggman's attack, and watched in amazement.

Someone had managed to film Eggman scooping Travis Tower right out of his yard, just as many people painted in different colors and lighting began fleeing the scene like bees from a jar. It was largely formatted, replaying over and over, some pixels broken and left as malfunctioning squares.

Then the scene skipped, and another resumed in its place. This time it was of Rachel Tower, screaming at Eggman in silence, as the video had not captured audio, before being whisked away by none other than Shadow the Hedgehog.

I felt my eyes grappling themselves on the spot. I shouted, "Look!" before I had fully processed what I was witnessing. To see Shadow take off with the girl he'd kidnapped not too long agofelt so incredibly surreal, and yet familiar in more ways than one. He'd been caught on film capturing her the first time. And then there was that bit of deja vu. Maria drifted to mind.

The crew proceeded to crowd around me once more, and a few gasps were heard when they too saw the same thing I had.

The footage began to skip and several bars screened down the freezing images. They caught up and played in a broken jumble, showcasing the view of Shadow grabbing hold of Rachel's hand and pulling her off in an unknown direction.

Nothing played after that. There was no conclusion, and if the camera had followed them after they'd run off together, the film didn't show it. I felt my temper burn hot like acid.

The screen flickered and switched now to a helicopter surveillance view of Rachel's home. The coordinates seemed to be opposite from where we hovered, and I could confirm this when I saw a helicopter zoom by adjacent to us.

A single square with the word LIVE was displayed in the corner. As the camera panned, it revealed that the Tower family were currently standing on their lawn, while Eggman trudged back and forth in a repetitive pattern along the street, tauntingly swinging the metal arm that held Travis and brutally shoving back anyone who tried to cross him in a dumb act of bravery. Thankfully there were only a few of those sort of attempts.

Amy's hand flew over her mouth while she and Knuckles dispersed. They simultaneously ordered Tails to land near the house. I knew their concerns at that moment were the family, and how they were out in the open and susceptible to danger.

I was concerned as well, but something else had also sparked my interest.

I didn't tell them where I was going, nor did I bother to explain why, as it seemed obvious enough. The window was peeled open before anyone could voice protest and I tumbled out of it, leaving them behind with only one short order.

"See to it that everyone is safe."

Followed by,

"I'll catch up with you all later."

The wind then carried my voice away. I ricocheted myself off the diced metal and began dashing off blindly in search of Shadow and Rachel.

There was no way I was going to let him get away with this again. I'd stop him before he got far if it was the last thing I could do.

* * *

><p><strong>nobody's POV<strong>

Helicopters were blazing through Station Square like aimless darts without a bulls-eye. Though they didn't know where to go, or what action to take, their commitment to protecting the citizens was hard as steel. G.U.N. pilots were secure in their seats, headset wires tangled across their laps. Most of them were composed, while the newer batches of recently recruited members were afraid for both themselves and the outcome of the city, though none of them would ever admit it.

No one knew what to do. Not even the soldiers' faithful Commander knew what direction to send them in. Abraham Tower was dying, and now he was forced to set aside his worries and instead focus on how Station Square was just a few hours shy of being destroyed by the likes of an evil scientist.

It would all begin with the young Travis Tower's death. The man had suffered through an incredibly rough year, and this was no way for him to begin his next. First one grandchild, and now another, had been put in ultimate peril.

A young pilot tore his aircraft above the scene of the hysteria's core, where their insane, yet undeniably genius culprit was dancing about the street, shouting more threats that were indistinguishable from within his metal chamber, where machines and engines were churning like mad clockwork. He watched intently from behind the tinting of his helmet before combing his finger through a sea of green buttons, mashing one that would give him connections to Abraham Tower. The button burned yellow.

Commander Tower answered almost immediately after being paged. His voice faded in and out of the prickling white noise, gruff and alert.

"What is it, Heins?"

The pilot looked back through the window towards the Tower home. "We have his coordinates, sir. Requesting permission to engage the enemy."

Abraham Tower was quick to speak. "Permission denied."

Heins felt himself begin to sweat coldly. He wasn't too surprised by his response, but he'd still hoped that the Commander's stubbornness would've lifted even slightly, given the extent of the situation. "But sir! If we don't make a move soon, the enemy will-"

"He'll _kill_ my grandson," he said, his tone hardening. "That's what he'll do, and I won't allow that to happen. Your urgency is understood but I'm afraid I won't allow any sort of interaction between us and Eggman until a better plan is advised. Before I release further details, you just see to it that no one else is hurt or captured by that robot. I'll be deploying some men to go down there and safely evacuate the rest of my family if at all possible. Do you copy?"

The pilot's gray eyes went vacant for a moment. He almost considered abandoning his boss's orders and doing what he believed was right for the people of the city, and possibly even the world. But, in his heart something told him that Tower had good intentions, and his intelligence and proper judgement outweighed his by thousands. He wanted to see to it that everyone made it out okay, where no sacrifices would have to be made. He may have been decaying, but his passion sure wasn't.

Little did he know that his granddaughter's ex-kidnapper had fled the scene with her in tow. Now that might have changed a thing or two.

**Rachel's POV**

My mind was barreling out of control with all the speeding colors and blurring audio. I snagged my arms around Shadow's neck and looked beyond his shoulder, flinching at every burst of noise that shook the Earth beneath our airborne feet. There were cars careening into one another, glass smashing, shrill cries drifting through the air like toxic butterflies, and even explosions could be heard whistling past areas too far away for either of us to see.

Explosions? Were they gunshots? But...who was firing? Neither of us knew.

I tried to focus on everything at once and ended up counterproductive by focusing on _nothing_. Before long the city became nothing more than black rectangles; our upright chandelier, except flickering with dying breaths and filled with distorted noises.

I had lost track of time. The dark sky did nothing to give us a sense of how late it had gotten, and I was too dizzy to distinguish minutes from hours. Clouds were rolling past the artificial moon. They played through a quickened illusion due to how fast we were moving.

Before long, we had covered a lengthy distance. The city was drifting out of focus, and dry brush was thickening in our path. Shadows darkened and stretched; a light fog began to stir.

And then we reached a mountain. High, burly, peppered with flecks of white and rotting green. Without missing a beat, Shadow effortlessly carried me to the summit before descending down the other side by carefully skidding through the rocky terrain. We were momentarily high enough for the pressure to crack my eardrums, before sliding down into oncoming patches of dead grass and dirt. A waterfall could be heard pouring gently nearby.

Shadow began to slow, and I suddenly felt his head bending upward against mine. I turned and looked out in the direction he was staring in, and my mouth fell open.

A train sat locked on a high track above us, with the starry sky landscaped behind it. The lights were made up of small white beads, and people of all ages and sizes could be seen shuffling by from inside the windows. Some were exiting, others entering. No one seemed to be in any sort of rush or panic. It's like they had no clue what was happening not too far away, or even beneath them. And they probably didn't. Today was just another day for them, here in the Mystic Ruins.

I wasn't sure why Shadow had stopped in this place to begin with. Maybe it was to catch his breath-

_Though I **seriously** doubt that._

-but either way it didn't last very long. The hedgehog was soon moving again, and this time he was headed towards the track. I was immediately blinded by fear.

"You're not going to hurt them, are you?" I asked, vividly remembering how he'd actually shot someone the day he captured me. Even without the aid of bullets, Shadow was very powerful. But nonetheless, he cast me a sideways glance that suggested the very opposite of my accusations.

"We're taking that route to Westopolis. You're going to show me where to find the final Chaos Emerald," he said darkly.

At the sound of this, I immediately started fidgeting uncomfortably in his arms, to the point that he set me down angrily, allowing me to straighten upright.

"What's the problem now?!" he demanded once I'd gotten proper footing.

I felt my insides bubble nervously once I saw the fiery lagoons of his eyes burn with annoyance. My fingers laced together and I struggled to hold onto my voice before it went lingering off.

"Why are we _running_ all the way there? Wouldn't using Chaos Control be faster?"

Shadow's brow furrowed. "How efficient can Chaos Control be without a Chaos Emerald? Besides, I don't know what effects Chaos Control will have on your mind or body, given the state you're in. That's not a chance I'm willing to take."

Bam, stab of guilt. Right in the gut. Every hindrance and precaution always seemed to come back to me. Though it was indeed him that put me in that situation with the brutal work of Chaos energy, I still couldn't shake the feeling. How I hated it.

"Anymore questions?" he asked, tightening his fists. And before I could stop myself, I nodded once and then buried my own grave with the following five words.

"Can I really trust you?"

Silent as a corpse. The air only rattled with the sounds of dead leaves sweeping past the icy ground and, again, water spewing into a nearly frozen pond.

It was a loaded question, and it dealt with a rather fickle topic. But we didn't have time to wallow in our own angsty tension and drama. Shadow wasn't having any of my shit tonight, and I knew that even before he had time to open his mouth. I interrupted his response with my own, to answer my own worries.

"I'm sorry, alright?

It didn't sound nearly as heartfelt as I'd wanted it to, but the message seemed to carry across well enough. Shadow could understand my skepticism to some degree, but he knew this wasn't the time to...well...waste time. His features softened and he stepped towards me again, hand outstretched.

"We need the Emerald so we can combine its power with the other six. It'll help us to overpower Eggman," he assured me. His voice was gentle in an almost foreign way. "...And to also save your city. Your world._ Everything."_

My wary glare finally dimmed and I dropped my defenses altogether. Shadow watched as I took a step forward and reached in his direction.

I was ready for him to take me, and for me to show him the way. That's what I had to do, right? He didn't know these lands as well as me, and I was also Abraham Tower's granddaughter. Even though the situation was dire, the hedgehog still seemed stunned by my sudden cooperation. It almost looked like he was fighting back the smallest of smirks.

But then, my fingertips found themselves scraping past a large blue quill. A blur of cerulean settled across the plain, sending out a ripple that expanded before us until fading into the frostbitten tropics.

Sonic was cutting off the path between me and Shadow. I jerked myself back and shouted his name in surprise.

_"Sonic?!"_

If he had heard me, he gave no indication. Before I, or the equally shocked Shadow could react accordingly, Sonic had pelted said Life Form in the stomach with a knotted fist. The blow sent him flying straight into the mountain.

A large **boom** quaked the Earth from Shadow's impact before he fell to the ground with a thud, groaning loudly in pain. A jagged cut had been imprinted in the rock behind him. He rose up, stumbling a bit, frail for just a moment. His eyes then slit upwards, locked on his attacker and blazing in fury.

I wasn't sure what possessed me to make the first step, but I noticed myself running past Sonic, the planet's legendary savior, and instead heading straight for Shadow.

Perhaps it was to make sure he wasn't too incredibly hurt. Perhaps it was to verbally calm him before he unleashed hellfire on Sonic the Hedgehog, as I knew his rage had the potential to bring down entire kingdoms. Perhaps it was both of these combined. I couldn't figure it out in the short amount of time.

However, in that moment, I realized how much I had changed.

My motivation, my conscience, my passion, my emotion, were all stirring in counter-clockwise pathways until they collided and locked themselves at awkward angles. Everything I remembered feeling in regards to Shadow was now flipped around, and it took up until now to make it apparent.

I didn't want him dead. I didn't hate him for his past.

I wanted to aid him, protect him, save him even, and I couldn't for the life of me understand why.

And neither could Sonic. He grabbed me before I made it far and pulled me back aggressively.

"No Rachel! Keep away from him!"

I spun around and looked Sonic hard in the face. Now I was really _pissed off. _

Why was he here? Why had he come looking for us? Wondering almost made me mad enough to strangle him myself.

_"Why?!"_ I nearly shrieked. The question itself was ambiguous, but Sonic only processed it one way.

"Why? Because he's dangerous!" he answered. "You'll get yourself hurt!"

My eyebrows furrowed.

"Dangerous..." I hissed quietly, amazed at the irony in his statement. He'd been the one who had just broken a damn mountain, using Shadow as the wrecking ball.

But the Ultimate Life Form had an answer of his own. I turned my back on him for all of two seconds, and already he had jumped over me and landed on Sonic's now squirming body. His snarls came out beastly.

"You _moron!_ You're not supposed to be here!" he shouted above Sonic's enraged cries. The two of them flopped across the grass, wrestling for both dominance and victory.

Sonic growled as he blocked Shadow's wrists before successfully clocking him in the jaw. "Like I was going to let you take off with her again! Didn't mean to spoil your plans!"

Onlookers had dispersed from the track and flocked at the woodwork surrounding the train. I turned and noticed the jutted fingers. A few of them even screamed.

When I turned again to see the two hedgehogs roll through Mystic Ruins like disgruntled brothers, my temper flared. I had watched something like this happen once before on the Egg Carrier, and coincidentally, in a cold climate. There was no need for an encore. The effects of the weather were setting in. The frustration was beginning to surface.

It didn't take much inner pep talk to help send myself spiraling into the tangled animals. I focused my strength on Sonic and used everything in me to knock him aside.

With enough struggle, he was pinned back, flailing but stationary.

**(Shadow's POV):**

I was seeing red again. The stinging in my head became worse, and I could swear for a moment my surroundings had doubled. The hedgehog and human nearby were accompanied by doppelgangers, before they morphed together and became single forms.

I was lying in the brush, shifting to a crouch and panting terribly. I could see my blue foe eyeing me again, and trying hard to claw his way to me.

But Rachel restrained him. She twisted his arm and then took hold of his shoulders, spinning him so that he could face her. She was out of breath.

"Stop it!" she screamed. "Stop it right now!"

Just then, I noticed the stream of people acting as an audience above us, splayed out amongst the metal and geometric shapes of wood. When I looked back at Sonic and Rachel, the hedgehog seemed to have calmed down when he read the desperation in my former hostage's eyes.

"But...Rachel...he-"

"I don't care! He's right! You're not supposed to be here!" she yelled again, jolting him once. "You should be in Station Square, trying to get my brother back! What were you thinking?!"

Her voice cracked. "He could die, Sonic! This here is not important! _He's_ important! I depended on you to be there for him! For all of them! Even if it isn't fair, I'm begging you to do that!"

Sonic was in a state of confusion. He rolled his stare over in my direction again.

"But...where are you two _going?"_

"It doesn't matter! We'll explain later!"

He shook his head. "No, you don't understand. I can't just leave you here, Rachel."

He tried to wiggle out of her grasp. "Come back with me. Right now. I promise you it's a better idea."

At the sound of this, my aggression ingnited. A _promise?_ Yeah, no way. I got up and trudged over to him.

"Sonic. She has a point. This has gone on far enough, and your priorities lye elsewhere. We can settle this another day."

He didn't budge, so I all but clenched my teeth, forcing away any and every emotion. "It's time for you to wake up. You don't need to be her hero now. Not tonight," I exclaimed. I looked at Rachel quickly and quieted just a tad. "Because for now, I'm here, and I'll do that for you."

The girl's eyes widened as if anxious by my claim. I nodded to seal my reassurance.

"I swear it. I'm here to make sure she's okay. I won't let her get hurt."

The look on both their faces were just about the same. They were both taken back and didn't know what to say or believe.

It took about five or ten seconds for Sonic to finally break the silence. He didn't look one hundred percent convinced, but a good ninety nine would have to suffice. He seemed to finally grasp the level of my protectiveness. He could believe based on the passion in my voice that I wasn't lying. I meant every word I said.

"...Fine. I'll let this slide by so long as you keep her safe. But if something happens, it's you I'm coming after," he said, bringing his hands up and prying Rachel's away carefully. "I guarantee you of that."

I only nodded. "Understood. I'll take full responsibility for what I will not physically allow to happen."

Sonic stared on, suddenly confused. I sighed and walked towards him, taking Rachel's wrist and pulling her away from him. For being someone known for speed, he was registering information at a snail's pace.

He seemed to snap out of his little daze once Rachel was by my side again. He didn't look comfortable at all, but we all knew he had to set those feelings aside for the literal sake of humanity.

"Fine. I'll be in Station Square. Meet me there before midnight and not a minute late," he said. "And she better be with you. Unscathed."

And then the Blue Blur departed...gone just as soon as he had come.

**(Travis' POV):**

My legs felt like they'd crack if I moved them an inch too far. I felt the pressure of the giant claw closing around me tightly, to the point that bruises were forming, and the only thing that could twist freely was everything from the stomach up. I took advantage of this and violently tugged back and forth, pushing with all my strength against the steel that bound me together. All that I succeeded with was making myself sick.

How did I get myself into this mess? I went from trying to be a hero and save my sister from being in harm's way again, only to get abducted by a madman in a giant robot. And now, from the sound of it, was my life or Station Square's. I was more calm about the situation than I wanted to be. Maybe it was the effects of some intense shock value, or maybe it was because I was amazed at how this all reminded me of some wild Saturday morning cartoon.

Even though I couldn't see past the links of metal and rusted screws, I had a terrible hunch that my sacrifice for Rachel was pointless. That weird hedgehog had probably nabbed her and run off when no one was looking. It didn't sit well with me at all, and I wanted to communicate this with someone badly.

My neck rolled back and I shot a glare at the evil scientist who sat lounging in his cockpit, twiddling at various controls. He didn't seem to notice me right away, and was instead speaking to a golden robot with his brow dipped downwards mischievously.

"Hey!"

He didn't respond, not even with a single glance. So I shouted louder.

_"HEY!_ I want you to let me go!"

Bit of a stupid demand, I'll admit. This time, the Doctor's lenses slowly turned and focused on me. I could faintly see the reflection of lights cast in his spectacles. His animated grin stretched about a meter wide, sending shivers down my spine.

"Don't tire yourself out too much, kid. I would think panicking is a horrendous way to spend your final moments."

His knuckles then interlocked and cracked. "You're my ticket to dictatorship, so just sit back and hope no one cares enough about you to attempt a rescue. Hope that no one is _stupid_ enough, rather."

His words stung me down to the very core. I fiddled more within my confines, chewing the skin under my lower lip. My face burned with exhaustion as I struggled helplessly until I fizzled out and went completely limp. A few beads of sweat slipped down my face.

I hung to the side quietly and listened to the outcries churning from all across the city. It felt like one big dream, to hear, and feel such a heavy atmosphere resonating from the usually carefree citizens of Station Square.

The voices that belonged to my parents were the only ones that were incredibly distinctive.

My mother was sobbing uncontrollably, begging Dr. Eggman to release me and take her instead. My father insisted the same, but with less tears and unintelligible babbling. Nothing was heard from Emma. I could only imagine how they looked right then...huddled together and wishing with everything they had that this night would somehow end without tragedy, despite how slim the chances seemed.

Nonetheless, I too hoped for the same.

**(Sonic's POV):**

_Of course_ I was questioning the legitimacy of Shadow's intentions. _Of course_ I felt like I had ultimately betrayed Rachel even when she outright instructed me to leave her be and go where I was most needed. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was being painfully tugged at from several different directions. I didn't have an answer to all my questions. All I could do was try my best and hope for even more, as the trees dispersed, and Station Square's buildings solidified into view.

Now I realized how much time I had wasted. It was ten thirty. The city seemed to have darkened significantly. I carried myself as quickly as I could through the various towers, sifting through roads and minding the few people still present, who were all panicking to the point of delirium.

I had to reach Travis before it was too late.

It seemed like it would be easy enough, but I had lingering doubt.

Not that I'd ever admit it out loud.

**(Tails' POV):**

"Get ready."

Eggman was still stalling while the X Tornado flew doughnuts overhead. I gripped the handles tightly and looked over my shoulder.

Knuckles had heard my instruction. He kicked the door open. A blast of wind filled the interior, and launched a squealing Amy back into her seat. Her hammer was tucked away beneath her arm.

The Guardian of the Master Emerald then leaped and descended downwards, just as Amy called after him to be careful.

He landed directly in front of Eggman's cockpit. I didn't see what happened next, because I quickly steered the plane out of view and prepared to come drilling back with my own weapons of choice.

**(Travis' POV):**

_CLANK!_

The sound was piercing. My head jolted and spun as far as it could go until the muscles in my neck had been strained painfully.

How incredibly unnerving it was to hear such a strange noise and not see what caused it. I automatically thought it meant that the mechanical claw was somehow detaching itself, ready to fall unto the unforgiving concrete with me trapped inside. I'd be turned to mush.

But through the corner of my eye, I found my answer, and boy was it ever a joyful contrast. It was none other than the famously powerful echidna with scarlet dreadlocks and spiked fists.

I gasped and began squirming in excitement. When I tried shouting the hero's name, it didn't come out. My vocal chords had shut down...for whatever reason. Possibly due to how tightly coiled I was.

So instead of interrupting him, I just listened on.

He was standing in front of Eggman, hands plastered against his hips, the two separated by the glass of the cockpit. Eggman presumably took hold of his microphone again, because he chirped out rather nervously, "Knuckles! H-How you doin', buddy?" and it echoed through his speakers for all to hear. Many heads were turned.

Then there was the sound of glass shattering.

Knuckles had destroyed the window with a single punch, sending the fibers raining and bouncing past the metal sheets along their descent. I watched the best I could as he grabbed the front of Eggman's jumpsuit and closed the distance between them. The color of their forms almost became one.

"No more of these games, Eggman!" Knuckles shouted, his voice managing to trail out the speakers as well being he was so close to the scientist's microphone. "Release the boy this instant, or else you'll be sorry!"

The robots beside Dr. Eggman started to scramble with panic and back away, leaving their Master at the echidna's mercy. Eggman chuckled, his anxiety levels clearly on the rise.

"Now now, there's no need to be rash. Hehehe...can't we compromise? For the sake of friendship?" he asked, in a disgustingly vile manner. "After all, all I was asking for in exchange for the human boy's life were the remaining Emeralds and of course permission to dominate the entire regio-AH! DON'T, PLEASE!"

Knuckles had his fist pulled back, ready to smash Eggman's face into fleshy bits of nothing.

He was trembling now, so hard that his form blurred at the edges. His face was pink with fear. "ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT I GET IT! YOU CAN HAVE THE BOY BACK!"

He then inched away from Knuckles ever so slightly, his hand moving towards a pad, and with one finger he clicked something. His grin returned in a flash.

"That is...if you can CATCH HIM!"

The last thing I remember seeing was Knuckles spinning around to face me, lavender eyes spread wide, wearing a bewildered expression. The metal pulled apart, and I was allowed to move again. But the swell of relief was short-lived. I was soon crashing towards the street at a height that lasted forever.

Screams erupted from all around me.

This was it. My death would be the beginning of Dr. Eggman's takeover. It would also begin the end of my existence.

"Travis!"

I shut my eyes and waited for it to be over, imagining my spirit fleeting up into the stars my sister had been unwillingly charting not too long ago. Suddenly a minute feeling of tranquility rid me of my fear.

But then I felt my body falling against something much softer than cement. I opened my eyes and found myself being cradled in the arms of Sonic the Hedgehog.

**(Sonic's POV):**

I didn't have any time to say even the shortest word to the frightened, disheveled child. I instead jumped away right as Eggman pounded his robot's iron fist into the road, right where I stood carrying him.

The X-Tornado zipped by in the background, and just in time too. Tails was closing in. He had his missile launchers out and ready. I was able to lock eyes with the pilot for all of two seconds, before nodding and shouting as loud as I could, so my demands could be heard even at such a distance in the navy, smog-filled sky.

_"FIRE!"_

And that was all it took for my orders to be realized. Pointed bullets began shooting out of the launchers. The plane nearly decapitated the robot when it came into close enough proximity, only to shower the mech with neon yellow bursts and explosions that, within seconds, set the entire contraption ablaze.

As Tails continued shooting, the robot began spinning madly as if trying to keep its balance. Knuckles had long since retreated, and Eggman was inside, fighting to hold himself steady.

Tails accidentally missed with one bullet, which instead stabbed through a nearby abandoned building and created a hole big enough to fly his aircraft through. He ignored the miss. He had no choice. We'd face the consequences for property damage later.

Sparks flew like glitter, dark smoke bled out in thick ribbons until the robot was nearly concealed. The X-Tornado pried itself out of the heavy clouds and hovered in circles, firing more ammunition at its target until it was up in tall, roaring flames. The fire swirled, melting a large radius of Station Square's ice. The impacts shook the ground as many passerby ran for cover.

All except for three of them.

Mr. and Mrs. Tower, along with their other child, were huddled closely together on their lawn while the ground trembled from the robot's fireworks. Travis must've noticed them as well, because he poked me and pointed in their direction, begging me to help them. I headed over to them immediately, setting the young boy down and making sure he could stand.

"Listen, you guys! We need to get you all out of here as soon as possible!"

They looked upwards, each of their faces contorted in shock. When they noticed Travis, a few grins and even tears were had. But they soon understood the gravity of my statement, climbed to their feet, and prepared to make a break for it.

The earth now shook even more violently than before. I turned and peered up at what was left of Eggman's mech. Full of sparking wires, broken chunks and shrapnel, it began to lose its balance and fall directly towards the Tower home.

I gasped and took hold of the children with each hand, running quicker than I could think.

_"Move!"_

The family sprinted away from the scene, just as the large hunk of steel collapsed onto their house, loudly cutting into it like a fresh cake. More fire stirred and multiple bricks and shingles disintegrated in the process. The structure bent towards the impact in chaotic distortion. Travis' mother stared back with a yelp, the girl started crying from beneath her wild curls, but they didn't stop running. None of them did.

Not until we were far out of sight, where soon, there were several vehicles full of G.U.N. soldiers pulling up beside us, and ordering us to get inside.

Abraham Tower being one amongst them.

**(Rachel's POV):**

And suddenly, Westopolis.

We were both standing now atop a lumpy black hill, looking over the town now blanketed in a dark, sultry scarlet. The urban environment was nothing more than grayscale cinder blocks, the windows and lights appearing like embedded fireflies. Phantom birds brushed through the buildings, and the two of us noticed that the city itself was alarmingly quiet except for the occasionally siren. Shadow was next to me panting lightly. He'd been pushed a little farther than the usual limits, having covered a large distance without stopping, and while carrying me no less. But we didn't have time to think about exhaustion. What we needed was the Chaos Emerald, and soon.

Shadow had briefly explained that this was where he'd been many months ago, when he heard me calling for help. The memories were choreographed in forbidden wisps, and sent chills down my spine. He'd been on this hill many times now, each occasion having provided him with some sort of excitement. Except, right now nothing was happening. No thrill was scripted to unfold. We were the ones who had to take initiative. We just didn't know where to begin.

My eyes vacantly drifted off into the direction of my grandfather's home, and at that second Shadow took my hand and began tugging me down the grassy slope, towards an opposite location.

"We need to find the G.U.N. base," Shadow prompted, "The Chaos Emerald is bound to be kept somewhere in there, locked up securely. I would expect no less."

But as soon as we started to slide down into the street, my heart lunged, a strange spark flitting somewhere within my chest. I halted immediately, gasping, looking back where my Grandfather's home was residing. It had taken hold of my attention like a yank to the hair. It was odd.

Shadow didn't seem interested in knowing why I was having cold feet again. He pulled harder with impatience. "Come on!" he growled.

I realized what I was doing, the _delay_ I was causing, and tried to take another step to make things easier for both parties. However, the same thing happened again. I groaned out loud, this time grabbing his attention with full force. He didn't release me.

"You can't keep doing this, Rachel," he said furiously. "We're running out of time. We have to reach the base as soon as possible and you're making our mission that much harder to obtain! So talk to me. Tell me what's going on!"

I found myself shaking my head, like my brain suddenly had a mind of its own.

"No..." I stated simply. My words were beginning to drown.

Shadow cocked one of his brows. "No? What do you mean _no?"_

Instead of giving an answer right away like I should have, my head lolled back ever so slightly, and I tried my hardest to concentrate on the alien sensation budding from the cavity around my heart. It was like zippers of static were looping and twirling throughout every inch of me, throbbing, their grip loosening in a thread-like fashion. The slivers of mist overheard suddenly doubled, blurring like glitched poltergeists, and then swelled. My eyes were starting to burn.

Everything felt surreal. Audio became heavier, smells harsher, touches more severe. Shadow shoved me out of my trance and glared at me in a way painted dark with desperation. I knew what he was thinking. He was torn between giving my health full attention, and dragging me along before I could hinder him any longer. Just imagining that turmoil made me hate myself, so I forced out the only words I could find in my scrambled head.

"Follow me."

The next look of shock he gave me was priceless, but I ignored it. I shuffled my arm out from under his gloved fingers and instead took his wrist in mine, careful to mind the golden band. The energy lapped at my senses. Shadow and I locked eyes, and it was then mutually understood that neither of us had a genuine answer as to what was happening or why.

But, he went with it. I pulled him towards a home I so faintly remembered, that I had yet to visit since my return to the planet. We'd find it empty, but hopefully we'd find an answer bundled somewhere deep underneath all the nothing. I was holding onto that. I would have hated to be wrong. Instincts insisted I wasn't.

There was no point in arguing against it now, as in no time at all, we'd crossed stretches of the slick pavement and reached the townhouse with minutes to spare.

**(Shadow's POV):**

I don't know what had gotten into her, nor was I about to ask her myself.

She had led me straight to what I could only assume was a house she was well fond of given the hunger in her eyes. I put one and one together, and deduced it to be the Commander's. What other place would she know so well in a city that was not her own, and one near the G.U.N. headquarters? Certainly not an alleyway.

I noticed the absence of society, and how the decor had barely budged in terms of stale celebration regarding the holiday on this night. Not a single human was in sight. I wondered if they had left after receiving warning of an attack. It would only make sense, unless of course they were only hiding like exiled shadows. There was nothing particularly threatening about us, except that we were racing against the clock, and would take little to no nonsense.

We came to a stop outside a rather dark, portly little house. The curtains at every window were drawn shut, yet the lights on the porch were burning, albeit barely flickering. Rachel disbanded her hand with my arm and took off towards the entry. Her fist hammered against the door, and then tugged at the handle before waiting for a response. She spun around, visibly distressed, and scurried off to the side where a window was placed.

"Shadow, break this please!"

I didn't need to be told twice. I hurried up to the glass and, with a carefully executed punch, busted the window apart to allow us access. The curtain flew.

And then it hit me like a ferocious tidal wave. The Chaos Energy went madly bubbling through my veins, igniting in the span of a nano second. It took my breath away. Rachel stumbled as well and clutched the top front of her shirt with shaking fingers. A single gasp was heard. We glanced at each other, eyes slightly wide.

We were feeling the exact same thing.

A Chaos Emerald was present.

**(Sonic's POV):**

After having been crammed inside a big-wheeled military car, I was feeling more than just a little claustrophobic. Not Tails, Amy, nor Knuckles were present. I suppose they were left fending off the defenseless Eggman in another wild goose chase that I wasn't there to be apart of. Because I was stuck in this vehicle, and it was filled with nothing but a barrage of uniformed humans, most of which were gawking in my direction as I shuffled away as much as I could from the soldier next to me.

A few were seated opposite from me, tending to Travis. His family were also inside, yet in clothing not nearly as formal. The men asked the small boy if he was hurt, made sure his limbs weren't broken or sprained, and took note of the few bruises that had been afflicted. He seemed in well enough shape to explain what had happened prior to running into Eggman. We all listened intently as he explained what he saw.

"All I really remember..." the wide-eyed child spouted, trembling every now and then, "was after the power went out, I heard something break in Rachel's room. The window, I think it was. I went to her room to make sure she was okay."

A few of them nodded. It was reasonable to believe that any widespread panic or danger might have been directly associated with Rachel in some way. The kid was smart to have reacted.

"I saw the same black hedgehog that kidnapped her standing outside her closet."

Abraham Tower suddenly jumped forward. "Black hedgehog...do you mean Shadow?!"

Travis nodded sheepishly. "He had found her. She must've been hiding from him and he found her before she could get out. He was looking at her. I remember."

Abraham rubbed his chin with shaking hands, muttering a swear under the ghost of his breath. "What else happened? Do you know where your sister is now?"

"Well...after I saw him, I grabbed a chair from the desk and whacked him with it. He fell, I tried to hit him again, but Rachel stopped me and took me outside the house. Eggman came and nabbed me right then. I didn't see what happened. I can only guess that Rachel-"

"Went with Shadow," I finished for him.

Now every pair of eyes had shifted towards me. I didn't let the new wave of attention intimidate me, and instead shot them all a serious look.

"Yeah. Rachel is with Shadow right this very minute. I know that knowledge alone might make a few of you uneasy," I briefly glanced at the Commander, "But rest assured, she's going to be alright."

Dark colors were flying past the windows, and nothing but the sound of the engine could be heard. For everyone had fallen silent, but the intensity of their stares didn't falter in the slightest. Abraham Tower's mismatched eyes hardened in a way that seemed almost alien. It was unsettling, but understood. Before I could explain myself, he spoke, face reddening.

"How could you _possibly_ know that, Sonic?! You know that Shadow took off with my granddaughter _again_ and didn't try to stop him?!"

I shook my head. "No way! It's not like that at all. Of course I went to catch him! That's the first thing I did when I found out about it! I even located them in Mystic Ruins and nearly took her back by force but-"

"You found her! Was she alright? And by force?" he cut me off. "Why would you need to take her back by force?"

"She was just fighting me, sir. I tried to battle it out with Shadow so we could leave him immobile long enough to escape together and she stopped me then, too. She ordered me to return to Station Square, without her, assuring me that everything was fine. She wanted me to focus on saving Travis and protecting the city. She was willingly going with him. I don't know what they were trying to accomplish."

His teeth clenched and nearly broke against each other like brittle shards. "She said everything was fine and you _believed_ her?!"

Now, I was starting to get nervous. If the Commander was against me, then everyone would follow in his example. The Tower family were already looking at me like I'd grown seven heads.

"Of course I did."

"WHY?!" he demanded.

"Because!" I yelled, "Your granddaughter wouldn't have lied to me, especially when it concerns Shadow. She would've begged for help if she really needed it. And I also believe Shadow genuinely cares about Rachel. In the time they've been together he's grown...fond of her I guess? Either way he wouldn't let anyone or anything harm her, and I bet that's why he took her away."

Bewilderment followed. Sheer, utter bewilderment. I was ready to bolt any second now and flee with my life before Commander Tower jumped forth and strangled me. He thought I was joking. He couldn't register a word I said.

"Are you insane?"

It was a female voice that had spoken to me this time. I turned and looked at Rachel's mother, who grasped onto her children with both arms, eyeing me from under a mass of blanketed curls.

"What if he had threatened her?" she said, teary eyes drooping, mouth quivering. "The hedgehog could've told her that if anyone came, to say everything was alright and to not save her. He might have gotten away with capturing her again...even when you were right there to get her...and you didn't even realize it..."

"That's exactly what happened," Commander Tower said, his jaws still gritted. "He tricked the world's most celebrated hero into believing his intentions were good. Damn that hedgehog. And damn you too, for falling for it."

I crossed my arms. "But Shadow wouldn't do that. Maybe his intentions _are_ good. Him and Eggman haven't been seen together the entire night."

"Don't tell me anything, as if you know Shadow the Hedgehog better than I do," he spat viciously, the darkness washing over him in unbalanced contrasts.

Still, I didn't accept it. No matter how angry or confused they were at my decision, I thought back, and could never recall a time where Shadow told an outright lie to anyone. He may have been led astray a few times, manipulative, and forceful in order to get what he wanted. But he never was dishonest. If directly asked about his motivations, he would tell you, if he saw fit, or simply not say anything to avoid conflict...despite his lust for action.

Shadow had promised me, as well as himself, that nothing would become of this one human girl. He'd kept her alive all this time, and was willing to do everything in his power to keep it that way. Plus, being an Ultimate Life Form, his power was something not to be joked about. Dare I say, history was repeating itself, and he was seeing a part of Maria in her.

A lot of the dots were connecting and Tower was trying everything he could to scatter them all over again.

I could reason with him to some degree, but his inability to comprehend the idea of Shadow not being evil somewhat infuriated me. Of course I knew Shadow better than he did. Shadow wasn't good, but he wasn't a monster. Something along the way had been lost in translation.

I wished I could've explained this to him. But it was too late. It was clear my word meant nothing to any of them now.

He ordered his men to scan Station Square, Mystic Ruins, and even Westopolis for signs of the two runaways, via tanks, cars, and helicopters. Just when the dust had finally settled.

I hoped Shadow and Rachel would find what they were looking for before getting caught, and prove that I wasn't as crazy as I seemed.

**(Shadow's POV):**

Everything went still. All movement and life inhabiting the devolving world around us became cold rocks of nothing.

Several velvet pillows were strewn across the floor. Candles madly flickered from the table tops and counters, setting the orange walls on fire. There was Rachel standing in front of me, her chest rapidly heaving. She was breathing, but I heard only an empty room. It was all static.

Near her was a couch, with all the cushions having been tossed aside in a desperate rampage to burrow into their caverns and find the source of what it was that had been calling us. Now, in her hands, was a Chaos Emerald, sparkling a romantic jade color that matched the hue in her altered eye. Here we were still struggling to catch up with what was happening.

She seemed to be struggling to hold it, as if it were slippery ice. Or perhaps, painful to the same degree. She was fighting back an obvious grimace, and it became even more apparent when she sent me the coldest look I'd ever seen cross her features.

"So this means that all this time..." she said in an eerily calm voice. "...All this time...it's been beneath me. It was never far. It was always here, in my grandfather's living room, inside a sofa I'd slept on for nearly ten years."

It was confusing to say the least. Both of us had anticipated something that presented a larger challenge. However, we were in no shape to complain, as this had made things remarkably more easy. But she clearly wondered what Tower's thought process had been, as did I. Why had he kept the Emerald in such an easily accessible location? Why had he let someone like Rachel be exposed to it for so long? Was it part of some greater motif?

Though this did somewhat explain why she and I felt an electric current upon physical current. It was the energy carried on through her DNA. She had carried on the mutated gene from her grandfather, and the radiation from the Chaos Emerald had kept it pulsating throughout her life.

She walked towards me, still cupping the jewel in her pale hands. It sheathed her face in a soft glow. Her hair cloaked around it unevenly as she looked down, before peering up and nodding towards me.

"This is it. Take us back to Station Square, Shadow. It'll be faster than running."

I stiffened. "But...what about you?" I asked, watching her carefully. "We don't know what it might do to you."

"Enough," she insisted, breaking down a little. "Quit putting me at the center of everything. We need to go. I'll be fine."

I wasn't convinced in the slightest, but even with a false blessing, I found myself letting my guard down and losing hesitation. I raised my own palms and placed them on the two sides of the gem that were still exposed beyond the crooks of her skin, so that we were both holding it, leaned in close enough to feel the heat of our breath.

Tension cradled the atmosphere.

"Rachel...Just relax..." I said quietly, briefly remembering the spasms she had back on the Egg Carrier. "It'll be over soon."

I then said the command out loud. Chaos Control. The energy gave us our wings.

Whiteness settled over us like a sheet, so that nothing but the two of us and this Emerald existed. Darkness soon dissolved back into our surroundings. We had successfully returned to Station Square.

But not in the city. On a beach, with the moon shining overhead, and waves rolling past our ankles.

**(Rachel's POV):**

I lifted one foot out of the chilling sea with a small gasp. Overhead, the bright lights were dying to reveal a sky splashed in a spectrum of constellations. The ocean itself was made up of shining turquoise slivers that stretched on for miles. As if it was a galaxy of its own.

It was unusually silent. Given the date and time, it would've normally been packed by now. On New Years, people were usually bustling through the sand, laughing and raising sparklers as if they were flags of lightning, while fireworks streamed from above. I could see boats drifting along the dark horizon, though abandoned by any sign of life. Everyone was gone. It really was just me, Shadow, and this Chaos Emerald.

I could feel my temperature rising, my cheeks flushing as the energy spiked and left me in a temporary sweat. Shadow's crimson irises scanned me carefully.

"You must have manipulated Chaos Control again. This wasn't where I intended for us to end up."

I nodded, following it with a tired shrug. "At least it's in the same place. I was just...thinking about this place when you asked me to calm down. It came to mind. It was meant to ease me. I didn't realize it would...ugh...I'm...sorry."

His brow lifted. "I see. Well are you feeling alright?"

I nodded. "Better than ever."

I then looked off to the side. Somewhere beyond the wilted palm trees and otherwise extinct plant activity, was the heart of Station Square. Travis came to mind, and I began to sprint in the same direction.

Shadow stopped me.

"Wait."

I came to a halt and spun around. "What do you mean _wait?!_ We're here aren't we? And we now have what we needed. We have to save my little brother!"

He only shook his head and held up an opposing hand as if to quiet me. "Listen carefully."

We both stopped moving, speaking, and just listened intently. Silence answered us.

"Do you hear that?" he asked.

My eyes narrowed. "Hear what?"

"Exactly." His hand dropped. "Rachel, it's already over."

At first, I was about to retort with another badly executed outburst. But then, I focused on the sound, or absence of rather, once more. And I realized, with serene confusion, that he was right. No one was shouting, no cars were blaring their horns, no sirens were wailing, and no feedback from Eggman's mechanical monstrosity could be detected. In contrast, no visible building was left in shambles. No sign of destruction was taking place. Eggman's takeover had failed.

The citizens had long disappeared, and I guess it was safe to assume that in the time we'd left, Sonic managed to save Travis on his own, or maybe with the help of his crew.

Station Square was officially devoid of all life. It was dead. But it was the most relieving death I'd ever experienced.

A small smile snaked its way across my mouth. I turned to face Shadow again. The Chaos Emerald was still embedded in my hands, twinkling, spreading a warmth through my veins. I was feeling relaxed, happy even. I wanted to share it with the rudely apathetic hedgehog for once. After all, wasn't this a good thing?

But he didn't share my contentment. In fact, he looked very, very tense.

My scrunched shoulders dropped limply in defeat. I realized I was out of words, and instead turned my attention back down to the glowing jewel.

"So...getting this Emerald...was pointless then? It was all for nothing?"

"No," he answered quickly. My face shot up.

"Oh?" I pondered, shuffling my fingers all over the Emerald. "Then what are we supposed to do with this?"

Silence followed. We just stared at each other, devoured by the somewhat pleasant atmosphere. This little oasis at the edge of our Hell.

Shadow didn't answer, and instead shifted his focus towards the sea. He seemed unsettled.

"I need to get you away from here. Immediately. But don't just go blindly running off. You to be somewhere where I know you'll be safe."

"Why?" I asked, taken aback. "Is there a problem?"

"Yes. The problem is that you need to be as far away from this place as possible."

I scoffed. "Okay, but _why?"_ I repeated. "Don't tell me Eggman did something to the water and now it's full of evil."

He then whirled around and shot me a serious glare. "It's not what he did to it, it's what he put _in_ it. And yes, it is in fact, very evil."

I took a step back nervously, quickly running my eyes through the scenery behind him. The waves were crashing softly.

"Shadow. You're scaring me."

"Good, then maybe you'll have enough sense to do as I say. I'm taking you away from here and that's all there is to it."

He then began advancing me, reaching for both me and the Chaos Emerald. I shielded it away from him, watching the glint in his eyes transition from protective to dangerous.

"If you take me away, where will you go afterwards?"

He didn't answer, grabbing for the Emerald again. I swatted him away.

"You're going to leave me somewhere then take off with _this,_ aren't you?" I asked, insulted less by the idea of him taking the Chaos Emerald and more by the idea of him abandoning me without answers. Or maybe, abandoning me in general. An odd, probably unintelligent part of me decided it wasn't done being fascinated by him. Not yet.

He growled. "Yes, that's the plan."

Now we were weakly wrestling, but his strength was climbing the more we struggled with each other's arms.

"So that's it then. You won't come back to get me."

He frowned, teeth gritting. "No. I won't. Why would I?"

"Are you saying that this is it? We're never going to see each other again?"

"More than likely not."

"And you said you'll forget about me entirely?"

_"Probably!"_

The statement crashed into me like a train. I felt my eyes swell with furious tears.

"Then_ stop!"_

With a quick, near inhuman reflex, I pressed his torso back with the bone of my knee, one arm thrust behind my back, safely guarding the Chaos Emerald, and the other having grabbed onto one of his quills. I pushed him towards me. He had a hold on one of my wrists, but he paused and instead studied me carefully. The electricity was ravaging us, and it even seemed to catch him by surprise. Long enough for him to pause so he could see in my expression how much I wanted closure, even if I couldn't have it.

"Shadow..." I spoke angrily, this time not intimidated by how close we were. "You're as much of a brat as me. You know that? And maybe we can't stand each other because we're more alike than we will ever accept. Maybe, I don't know anymore. I don't know anything, really. I'm just a stupid teenage girl, after all. Right?"

He didn't budge, and only listened. I was grateful.

"But if that's true, then I have a right to be selfish. I do know that I don't want it to end like this.

Where do we stand, huh? Where do _you_ stand? Why would you want to block me out when you've thrown me head-first into every trouble we've had since the very beginning? And without hesitation?"

I finally released his quill and brought the same hand back towards my face, ready to catch any tears if they fell.

"I want you to tell me what's happening. I want you to tell me what you're thinking. I want to know as much as possible. Don't overshadow me."

Shadow was starting to regain his agitation. "What's it to you, anyway? Why are you making this so difficult? The only time you ever care is when it concerns you, and now it doesn't."

"I want to believe you really are capable of love, Shadow. I want everything to fall into place. I want to leave no loose ends after all has been said and done."

My words looked like they were hitting home, but he wasn't going to let it weaken him, or change his mind. That much was obvious. He yanked me by my arm.

"Clear your mind, Rachel. It's over." His frown slanted. "For your good, not my own."

My eyes began widening, and I shook my head frantically. "Shadow, wait-! Don't do this! I'm not ready!"

He tightened his grip. "Give me the Chaos Emerald, Rachel."

"Shadow, please!"

_"FREEZE!"_

The surprise took us by storm. But we did as instructed. We froze. Both Shadow and I both paused, our heads turning towards the sound of the call.

Near us, stood a G.U.N. soldier, wielding a machine gun. Several more men appeared behind him, their boots scraping the sand in haunting unison.

And then from even deeper into the brush, my grandfather emerged. Hands folded behind his back.

"You're surrounded, Shadow. Release my granddaughter right now," he said,

"Or I'll kill you right here. Right now."

**x**

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**ha HA. You silly wenches. I ain't finished here yet! **

**What a way to end the year with another unforgiving cliffhanger! I also put this up a bit earlier than anticipated, just because I figured most people wouldn't be reading it the night of New Year's Eve. You might have plans, or wish to spend your time elsewhere. Hopefully there isn't some evil scientist ruining your day.**

**"But, author! You told us that this would be the last chapter!"**

**So I did, and so it was supposed to be. I made a quick draft of all the events that were meant to happen in the finale, and I'm about 75% done. But this chapter is already at 11,000 words. I figured it would get exhausting, and tried to trim the fat, but couldn't find enough that I wanted to delete. I'm sorry. I know I have been really bad about updating. Thing is, Depression and I have been making googly eyes at each other for a few months now. Self diagnosed, sure, but losing the desire to do anything except breathe, (and even then, it becomes debatable) is definitely a sign that I needed a break from everything. Writing became less of an enhancing activity and more of a chore.**

**This year has been incredibly rough. For me, a lot of milestones were reached, like graduating high school, entering college, becoming a legal adult, getting my first job, having my tonsils removed, dating someone I had immense feelings for, and being accepted as a voice actor in audition contests (even as a lead in one). **

**But for every achievement, was a falling action. My first graduation night was postponed due to rain, and the second night, soiled by family members. I did poorly my first college semester. As a new adult, I have more responsibilities than I'm ready to swallow. I'm a royal fuck-up when working, that's for sure. Tonsillectomy..ugh don't even get me STARTED on how horrible that was. The guy I loved ended up breaking it off with me for selfish reasons that I couldn't possibly prevent. All the projects I got accepted on for voice work ended up scrapped before production even began. Ech, the list goes on.**

**But...ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, I've auditioned for another project made by a more famous youtuber, and I'm still working to be an artist/writer. My playground is wide open, just as it is for anyone, and I was just seeing it through a very narrow tunnel.**

**Sappiness over. I'd appreciate any and all reviews! Even the ones telling me I smell bad! Tell me if this chapter's vocabulary was a bit heavy. It seemed that way to me. Also, next chapter will be the REAL last one. I promise, haha. No ifs, ands or buts this time. It will also be rated M. For language and violence. Not sexy time.**

**So happy 2014 everyone. Let's make this year a fucking party.**


	33. Blindspot

**(A/N): So at this point I find that I'm elongating the story on purpose. I really don't want to let go. You could call it padding the story out to a ridiculous degree, but goddamn I find myself wanting to put in so much more detail than I planned initially. It just can't be helped.**

**Long story short, this is NOT the final chapter. I honestly don't know how much longer I can hold this out before inevitably bringing this silliness to an end. If the next chapter isn't the final one, then something has glitched terribly. I hope you don't mind reading for a bit longer. I'd keep this document private until adding maybe another 5,000 words as to wrap up the story AT LONG LAST. But I sort of want to share it with you, and I have no self control. So please forgive me, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! **

**(-)**

**(Rachel's POV)**

In that moment, it started to feel as though my organs were dampening, churning until they were made of proper cream. Every cavity in my body became swollen, swallowed by fire, and this time it wasn't at the mercy of the Chaos Emerald. It was shock. Pure, natural, completely human shock. The sensation was strong enough to overtake my eyes and blot my surroundings with strange pixels. It all became a dream. I stared at my grandfather with this newly brewed form of intensity, completely unmoving. Not even catching my breath was worth breaking free from the trance.

The G.U.N. soldiers choreographed themselves in a way that was not unlike a group of dangerous statuettes, their weapons pointed towards us though carefully minding the space where I stood. Each barrel of every pistol was aimed directly at Shadow the Hedgehog. I briefly turned to him and noticed the red sniper spots moving in a flurry around his torso and head, steady yet somehow like scattered fireflies. Now panic was stirring lightly.

My grandfather glared back towards us before smiling shortly, genuinely, in a way that reminded me despite his threats, he was indeed my family. I almost entirely forgot his statements about being ready to kill Shadow, and instead gawked on in uncertainty. His entire stance softened dramatically after locking eyes with me for the first time that night.

With tension heavy enough to burn holes in the ozone layer, he finally reached out in my direction. "Rachel, you have no idea how worried I've been about you! What a relief that you're alright."

I stared back, unable to be muster up anything that could hint mutual satisfaction. I had no reason to be happy that he was here.

But why?

He was my grandfather, right?

He was the one who had shared his personal stories with me on the sanctity of a living room sofa. He was the one who I visited nearly every weekend so my siblings and I could enjoy his company. He'd lost a great deal, and he wanted to protect me just like he would with anyone he loved. There was something dreadfully wrong happening here if I was actually questioning the trust I'd placed him; this man whom I'd known my entire life, over the trust I'd placed in Shadow who I'd known for a mere few months via captivity.

"You have nothing to be afraid of. You're safe now."

I found myself shaking my head disbelievingly. Safe? Safe from what exactly? His side of the beach was the one filled with weaponry. I didn't want to go with him at all. I couldn't just do that. This wasn't the side of him I wanted to see. No, I wanted to stay by Shadow. So long as I was by him they wouldn't dare shoot. So I refused to move.

He ignored me and beckoned with one gloved finger. His smile was crisp as ever. "Come over this way now, I want you away from him right now. Especially while he is being arrested."

My eyes went wild. _Arrested?!_

"We won't let him harm you anymore. It's going to be okay."

I didn't respond to him, and instead broke eye contact and once again gaped back towards Shadow, who had long since released my arms and was instead knotting his fists. He made no effort to take the Emerald away from me this time. He made no effort to take...well...any sort of action, really. It couldn't have been that he was afraid.

_Do something,_ I willed silently. _Make them all go away, Shadow. Do it now. I know you can._

I couldn't believe this was even up for debate. That I was thinking, albeit poorly, of all the possible outcomes to this situation rather than just a single, logical one. I was really having trouble choosing between my grandfather and Shadow the Hedgehog. Boy had time really done its damage.

Disregarding that, this all seemed so incredibly off on its own. My grandfather could kill Shadow if he wanted to at any given second. He had the means, and he certainly had the temper. But the same could be said the other way around. Why wasn't Shadow running away? Or teleporting somewhere far away? Why wasn't he taking the Chaos Emerald away and using its power to blast these morons to tiny bite size morsels? He was going to fight back, wasn't he? He had every reason to. Better yet, why wasn't he taking me with him, or refusing to let me go?

All these questions dropped like stones as soon as Shadow's voice crept up on me, eerily. As if it were an icy poltergeist.

"Go," he said. I was almost certain I'd been the only one who heard it. A tremor sliced down my spine. Rather than take a step away obediently, I took one closer to the hedgehog. "What?" My words were a wispy teeter-totter. I'd definitely heard him, but I couldn't process it.

"I said _go,"_ he repeated, this time with tripled ferocity. I side-stepped ever so slightly just to get a better look at his face. Nothing he said would sink in.

"Shadow...I don't..."

"You belong with him, not me," he continued hastily. His eyes were bright with rage. What he was saying was almost incomprehensible.

I could only imagine how much this scenario, _and_ these words, were a huge kick to his pride. I knew he wasn't about to soften himself up for my sake. _Especially_ for my sake. If anything, he probably wanted to use his frustration to his advantage. As if it would frighten me right into submission like it had before. But his antics had just about numbed me at this point. It wasn't working.

Now all eyes were on me. They were waiting, all of them, with clear impatience for me to make my first and final move. But in my heart, I knew no matter what I chose, I'd ultimately be betraying someone. How could I possibly turn my back on my grandfather and toss his love and empathy to the wolves, for someone that was his, and previously _my_ sworn enemy? Especially when he'd tried so hard to find me even while death stood jingling bells on his doorstep. But how could I leave Shadow to arrest and possible execution after all the times he'd protected me when he could've easily left me to die? And now, after I'd denied him the Chaos Emerald. When he admitted to loving me too. Was that not important? What about when he'd sacrificed himself on more than one occasion, for my sake? How was that fair?

"Rachel, come now," my grandfather insisted. His friendliness was rapidly fading. Persistence surfaced.

"Go, Rachel." Shadow's hissed.

So I started to move. Fighting my own weight, I slowly, reluctantly, began walking towards my grandfather as the men kept a close eye on Shadow, to make sure he didn't act on possessive impulse. It's what they all wanted. Who was I to fight that?

_No._

_NO._

_Fight it! Stop! What are you doing?!_

Every footstep I left in my wake was folded over by sand and breeze. It was erasing the evidence, painting it like I'd never been near Shadow at all. Quite poetic, really. Waves were rolling in further. I forced myself to glare straight ahead, while internally begging Shadow to shake up this bitter formula and take action.

_Turn back! You can't just leave him behind! You can't let this happen!_

I pulled the Chaos Emerald out from beneath the crook of my arm and inspected it closely, but only as an excuse to occupy my eyes. With it, I was spared from looking at the now beaming Commander. His proud nature revolted me, and I could see it in my reflection. I was convinced of nothing, stained with flecks of worry and fear. Somewhere deep in that brightly speckled eye, was also a hint of fury.

Once I was surrounded by the soldiers, I turned on my heel to face Shadow again.

Seeing him stand alone while I stood by my grandfather and these men with their guns made me sink backwards even further. There was something not right. This wasn't the atmosphere I wanted to breed from. Guns, and hate, grudges and revenge. My grandfather's excuses for loathing Shadow were so old. They had nothing to do with me. I wanted no part of it. It wasn't who I wanted to be.

I found Shadow already staring intently in my direction. It soured the pit of my stomach. I gawked back, pleading with my eyes for him to escape while he still had the chance. I didn't want him to lose, especially to the likes of G.U.N. And I certainly didn't want it to be at the hands of my own grandfather. I could no longer tell who I was rooting for, and instead wished all these men here would disappear. That way it could be just him and I again on this beach now cloaked in haunting darkness, with nothing but the water at our ankles to charm us with its innocent and quiet company.

**(Shadow's POV)**

It wasn't easy to appear void of all emotion. Maintaining my composure was like balancing fruit on a needlepoint; unsafe, leaving a tender core to fall over with only the smallest gust of wind.

Rachel's eyes were vast pools of chemical bubbling bright as ever. Through them, I could see and almost feel the capacity of everything she was feeling. Her thoughts were of their own universe. Some I was unable to read, others were in foreign code. But knowing her, I knew overall how torn she must've felt, and how she probably wanted to say something smart and applicable. Something that would change all our minds or reform our opinions of one another. All of this _reality_ completely coincided with that perfect world she'd embedded in her mind. But her power was lacking, her influence barely there. She could only watch helplessly as Abraham Tower stepped forward with a sickening smirk and nudged her back behind him. Her body, and the Chaos Emerald, barely poked out from behind his pale frame.

"You don't know how long I've waited for this. Day and night...how I've imagined this moment. Now it's come, and your time is up. You've had this coming for a long time." His chin lifted. "Shadow. Surrender yourself now. You'd be a nothing less of a fool to do otherwise."

My frown deepened. "Of course." My focus moved from Rachel's and matched with his. "Only a fool would run away from something he's too afraid to understand. A fool, _and_ a coward. But saying that might be getting a bit too personal. Wouldn't you say so too?"

The old man's thinning mouth fell apart. My words trampled his before they could emerge. "I'm not running away,_ Abraham. _Unlike you, I have my dignity. And unlike you, I understand my enemy perfectly. I have nothing to fear."

And it was true. To me, this man was like a lump of styrofoam. But I'd continue to play his game. I wouldn't hurt him knowing Rachel was present, and I was disgusted that he would even think to do the same to me.

The Commander's teeth ground against one another. "You're wrong about that, you demon. You'll never understand the weight of all that you took from me. You can't. Your mind wasn't programmed that way. You don't have a heart to be broken, because you're nothing but a broken experiment."

My arms shifted and crossed over my chest. I wasn't the least bit offended by his petty remarks, even if they did conflict with the years of pain I spent grieving Maria's death. "So then, why don't you enlighten me and tell me what it is I'm missing?" My eyes mindlessly flickered back to Rachel.

"I'll be happy to enlighten you with a pair of handcuffs and a prison cell."

Two soldiers then began advancing me. One was swinging a metal slink around his index finger, the other stood close by with his gun cocked.

Rachel tugged at Abraham. "Grandpa, wait!" Though he was quick to shove her back and hushed her pleas persistently. "Don't interfere, Rachel. We're doing what's safest for all of us. Surely you understand that."

Rachel looked at me, inhaling deeply. "But..."

The soldier quickly took hold of my wrists like those few square inches of fur were their own weapons of mass destruction in dire need of restraint. He was unable to close the cuff around my inhibitor ring, and instead transferred it a little farther down.

Rachel gasped. I'd stopped looking her way altogether.

"But it's..."

He fastened the cuff, maneuvering one arm closer to the other in order to complete the binding. I started to call forth the Chaos Energy. Discluding Tower, I lacked the conscience to not show these idiots what I was capable of. It was my only defense, and even then I was terribly drained of it. Who knew what would happen now. My eyes narrowed.

Rachel yanked away from her grandfather completely.

"It's _WRONG!"_

And then, the ground rumbled and sent flits of pebbles drumming like marbles all around. The soldier pulled his grip away in shock. He and his counterpart gravitated back towards the others, all of them whisking their heads every which way. Abraham Tower held his hands apart to keep balanced, while Rachel crouched and protected the Emerald in the tight space between her thighs and stomach.

I was the only one standing unfazed, even with the edge of the cuff cutting into me through every quake and shudder. I silently looked out towards the ocean, and waited.

It panned upwards from the water like a monster made of metal. Right where the moonlight left slivers of white, a weapon had broken through and was rising. Slowly. Menacingly. It seemed to go on forever.

It wasn't unlike it's predecessor. While the base of the machine was mostly sharp and blunt, the head was made up of intricate illusions and designs reminiscent of shattered glass, all painted along one obnoxiously large hemisphere. A spear protruded from the very center and was decorated by surrounding beams. Some of the metal paneling extended beyond the circle in a spidery fashion. Before long it had become tall enough to block out the moon completely, and when it had finished lifting, a final tremor shook the sand before settling it back into place as if nothing had occurred at all.

This was the Supernova Cannon.

Now that all had noticed this circuit board of beastly proportions, I prepared myself. Blame was getting ready to rear its ugly head.

**(Rachel's POV)**

"What is that thing?!" one man shouted, allowing his intimidating front to fall.

"It looks like some sort of giant gun!"

"That's because it _is_ a giant gun! It's a bloody cannon!" another cried out.

A ripple of understanding came tumbling over_. _But in all honesty, it wasn't a difficult puzzle to solve in the first place. This had to be none other than the Eclipse Cannon's larger, nastier sister. And just as before, I had no doubt that its creator this time was also a Robotnik. Eggman must've not been finished throwing hijinks our way after all. Boy was this one _grand._

But then I looked back to Shadow. We found ourselves staring at one another amidst the panic, and as always his face was mercilessly unreadable. He was taking in my reaction while having nothing but a stoic expression to offer in return. Somewhere deep down, my blood started to boil.

"Commander, that thing is aimed right at the city!"

"With that kind of force...if it hits even one building, that one will collapse and the rest will fall like dominoes!"

_He knew about this..._

"Who's in control of it?! Eggman?! But we all thought he disappeared a while ago! Where are Sonic and the others when we need them most?!"

_It's why he tried forcing me to leave. He mentioned that Eggman had tampered with something underwater here. So all along he was playing a role in obliterating Station Square. He deceived me. And he threw around such a heavy word like_ _**love** to get me to cooperate._

"Orders, commander?! What are we to do! Eggman gave us until midnight!"

"The hedgehog was clearly behind this also! He has to call it off! We can't waste any time!"

_Except...no. Just wait a minute._

_Shadow wouldn't ask me to just LEAVE if that were the case. He said to get as far away from here as possible. But there was no specification in that. What if I had gone back into the city? Where else would I have gone besides home? He wouldn't allow that if he meant for it to be destroyed._

"Sir? Orders!"

_This isn't adding up. He must've had something else planned. I bet he was going to stop the attack until G.U.N. showed up and interfered!_

"Commander!"

_He wanted me out of here so he could successfully do away with it! He's not trying to hurt us like we all think. He knows better than that. His moral compass is thin but not non-existent. He knows not to do that to me or any of these innocent people! He's defied Eggman before and he's done it again!_

But my grandfather's gruff voice cracked like a whip. "Lock on target, men!"

My hypotheses went up in smoke, while a gasp erupted from my throat. _"What?!"_

_He's referring to Shadow. Shadow is his target._

_This can't happen._

But it was like my exclamations didn't exist. They were all deafened deer caught in the headlights. Every man raised their guns once more and jutted them in Shadow's direction. And to my horror, he made no effort to even budge. I started to run towards him, but my grandfather held an arm out and trapped me in place. I caught myself looking back out at the cannon, where there were still the shadows of several boats sprinkled along the coastline. Since tonight was New Years Eve, a time-honored holiday, I knew they could only be boats full of-

"Stay back, Rachel. We're about to open gunfire and I won't let you get caught up in it."

My fingers were like hooks desperately grappling onto his sleeve. He'd gotten my attention this time. "No, grandpa! At least listen to him! Hear what he has to say!"

I could tell he was panicking. His arm was shaking violently, and yet somehow it was strong enough to keep me from surpassing him.

"Please, grandpa! He's not responsible! You can't do this! _Stop it!"_

_"Ready!"_

Several fingers clapped against their respective triggers. Shadow glared back at them without a shred of vulnerability. But I wasn't convinced in the slightest. I wanted to believe he could sustain bullets. But he'd been severely weakened. Neither of us knew the truth, and it killed me.

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore.

With a swift toss, the Chaos Emerald went soaring through the air, over the soldiers' uniformed bodies, and closed in on Shadow. He reached up and caught it overhand, eyeing me with the most confusion I'd ever seen cross those peculiar scarlet irises.

I'd thrown it to him. I'd defied my grandfather. It was him I wanted to win.

"Shadow, the boats!" I hollered, pointing back towards the horizon. "Aim for the boats!"

In no time the command had registered. Using the boost of energy that swarmed within the Chaos Emerald's walls, the one I knew he quenched for desperately, Shadow launched his hand forward and out shot neon bolts of power.

They went scraping past the water, golden light bending in a manner like spilling ink. And, miraculously enough, they managed to pierce through one of the aforementioned boats far away from us and the rest of civilization. It did so flawlessly.

Immediately the boat exploded into a huge galaxy of fireworks.

One by one, via a colorful chain reaction.

**Boom!**

**Boom!**

**BOOM!**

Each boat was struck before bursting with a sea of flashing stars, setting the entire sky on fire.

It had worked. New Years Eve was officially on our side tonight.

**(Sonic's POV)**

He'd said something about a _hunch._

The Commander, after clutching his chest and looking towards the Western edge of Station Square, like something on the other side of the city was the antidote to all of his problems, had himself transported elsewhere and brought several soldiers along with him as well. For what purpose, we were not told. No one understood his motives, but we were all too afraid to question a dying man's intentions either way. I was the only one willing to admit that it wasn't safe to mindlessly accept his judgement. Him being sick didn't automatically make him right.

He left me, the Tower family, and a few unfortunate escorts to meander around a hospital while Travis received professional opinions from the one doctor insane enough to not evacuate the city. I was instructed to stay close to them, and protect them by any means necessary. The televisions showed nothing but dead static. Satellites were down. Cell phone signals non-existent. Even in the heart of the city, it felt as though we were miles deep in a dark, concrete countryside. Nothing to do or occupy ourselves with. The boredom and paranoia were a toxic mixture and it was near maddening.

We all felt the same quake run through the ground for a short second. It was rather subtle, no where near strong enough to send anything toppling over in the waiting room, despite it being caked with loose novelties. But our anxiety was still peaking with every passing minute. The smallest breeze would bounce us straight to our toes. It was nearing midnight, and our worries were only intensifying with every tick of the clock.

So when the floor shook and a scream erupted from Rachel's rather excitable mother, I threw down whatever dull catalog I'd been sifting through, tore out of the hospital entirely and stopped dead in the middle of the street outside. The cold, stuffy air greeted me with brutal impact. All was hauntingly quiet. I looked every which way but saw nothing that would explain the rumble. So I readied myself to run through the city and have a decent look about to be certain danger wasn't lurking just around some crooked traffic light.

Then a voice stopped me.

"Hey! Excuse me, Mr. Sonic, sir?"

I had my fists clenched, knees bent and ready to shatter the sound barrier in a string of blue light. My stance completely melted at the sound of this soft little coo. I whisked around and found myself staring down a short, round-faced girl with auburn ringlets for hair. It was the youngest of the twins if you counted in minutes. Emma Tower.

She seemed nervous, quiet except for the gentle swishing of twiddled thumbs. Oddly enough, no one was accompanying her. And she'd gotten out here extremely fast. No time to even throw on a jacket. I would've assumed no one knew she was out here, but these speculations dispersed when I saw her mother and another soldier hurrying to the window from inside the hospital, after gracelessly bumping past an abandoned receptionist's desk, and watching our interaction. The mother took a step towards the door, but the aforementioned soldier placed one hand on her shoulder. She ceased moving altogether after shooting him a very unconvinced glare.

When I looked back into the girl's big and childish eyes, she had already begun talking again.

"Mr. Sonic, I thought I'd let you know...I don't think you just _let_ my sister get taken away by that other scary hedgehog. No matter what anyone says."

I puzzled instantly. As touching as this was, it really wasn't the appropriate time or place.

"Oh. Well, gee. Thanks kid. But if you haven't noticed, we might kind of sort of be in big trouble. So can we finish this later? I promise we'll have a proper chat then, if everything goes well. Now hurry back inside. It's best if you stay there."

She nodded. "Sure. I understand."

She began treading back towards the gray entry. But before getting far, her steps slowed and she whirled in my direction once again. "It's just...well everyone's mad at you except for me and my brother. I know he's not. We have twin telepathy and it tells me he believes in you too."

_Twin telepathy_...my inner wavelengths went spiraling. _Believe in me?_

"I hate to do this," I stated, "I really do. I don't mean to bolt right after you tell me the nicest thing I've heard all night. But we did lose sight of Eggman earlier, and trust me that's nowhere near as good as it sounds. I have to make sure he doesn't pull something while we have our backs turned. It's my responsibility. With it being so close to twelve, the stakes are only getting higher. I'm sure you get that."

I then waved her off. "You go back in now, and tell everyone to stay close together. I'm going to check through the city and make sure everything's alright. Possibly find my friends. They should be in a blue airplane. It'd make things a whole lot easier if we did this together."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "Do you think my sister is still involved in this?"

Yes. I had every reason to believe Rachel was involved. So long as she was missing, and so long as Shadow was hungrily sought after, she'd always be trapped in the eye of the hurricane. But my impatience was surfacing too quickly for me to respond genuinely. So I made an attempt to shoot back a very rushed _We will find out soon enough._ So I could finally be on my way.

But a blast sent pounding starlight into the skies overhead. In the west, where the sun had long since sunken beneath the red horizon.

Where the Commander had headed before leaving us here.

Every square mile of space above us was illuminated in colors that bloomed sparkling frenzies. Some barely peaked over the tops of skyscrapers, while others shot far up until they were barely grazing the atmosphere, sending their fiery rain down over a larger, wider radius. It felt big enough and loud enough to swallow us whole.

Emma gasped loudly, covering her ears and yet stifling an excited laugh as car alarms set off from all around. "Oh, fireworks! I didn't know they were still doing these! That's so cool!"

The thrill in her voice ebbed instantly, and became harder to here. "But it's not even midnight yet. Whoever set those off is celebrating way too early."

I screwed my eyes towards the display. There was an uncertainty I'd felt about this, and she'd voiced it perfectly for me. "I think whoever set those off isn't celebrating at all."

Just then, a streak of indigo clashed against the blinding view and soared straight for its core. The X Tornado, in a clunky silhouette form. Engines were spurring until they were inevitably drowned out by the deafening sounds of the fireworks. I didn't know if the pilot or passengers had seen me, but they clearly shared my suspicions about these fireworks if the first impulse they had was to go straight for it.

I then looked ahead and grimaced. "It's a cry for help."

_Something's wrong._

I took off without a second glance back at Emma for validation. Not even to make sure she had re-entered the hospital safely. My mind was racing, my heart began to shrivel coldly.

I had a bad feeling about all of this. And how I hoped I was wrong.

**(Rachel's POV)**

They were getting larger, faster. I hadn't fully grasped the weight of what I'd done until the whole of winter suddenly felt like a scorching bonfire.

The fireworks weren't setting off in a timed manner like they were designed to. They were bursting like bombs of fantasy. Jets of light shot higher, closing in. Bits of red, green, and cobalt blue. I tried blocking out the absurdity of the noise, but my ears rang regardless, and when the lights actually managed to ride the water and fall like sparklers onto the hem of the beach, the soldiers began to run. This had become hazardous.

"Fall back, men! Fall back!"

The boats had already been set aflame by the swarm of smoke and gunpowder. The water acted like a mirror reduced to melting, sizzling beneath a glittering storm. These bright bullets were traveling farther out until their shapes were no longer distinctive, combusting and raining down as colorful polka dots. It didn't take long for the heat to catch up with us. It was like a giant explosive fireplace. I found myself ducking as a huge cone of light soared over me. Had I not done so, it would've taken my molten head along with it after having disintegrated into the palm trees.

One soldier cried out in horror when a streak not unlike the one I'd dodged knocked into him and burned through his uniform. The fabric made a sickening sound as it fizzled away, and the one he emitted was even more frightening. While crawling on hands and knees, minding more of the ricocheting fire show, I grabbed onto the sand as if I was in danger of falling off the planet, and slowly, carefully, made my way to Shadow.

I expected him to be waiting for me and ready to go. After all, that's why I had done this. It was our last chance to escape. Sonic was in Station Square, so I intended for the fireworks to catch his attention so he'd notice this catastrophe from afar. That way he would come to investigate, then handle whatever he needed to while I got Shadow away from here, where no one could hurt him or take him away. Nobody seemed to realize how much they misunderstood his intent. He'd harnessed the power of Chaos. He had the power of an Ultimate Life Form. He would be untouchable; no one would dare lock him up. That's all I wanted for him. Even if it meant losing a hindrance like me in the process. It's what he deserved.

But when I looked up to see him, I found him hunched over and groaning as if in pain.

I squinted towards him. Pillows of smoke came tumbling in and made seeing all the more difficult. The noises were dying down, but I still had to yell so that my voice would carry even ten feet in from of me.

"Shadow!"

He didn't respond, and instead clumsily dropped the Chaos Emerald and grabbed his head with both hands, turning down and grimacing sourly. I could hear the hisses coming out of him. His eyes were fastened shut.

I clawed my way closer, only able to grunt his name over and over, occasionally pausing as to avoid getting smoldered by oncoming fire. But the smoke only seemed to thicken. His form was starting to blur. I moved quicker in desperation.

"Shadow?!"

By then his body was only a jagged black marking amidst the fog. Through focusing, I could feel my eyes burn and then water. But through the mess of gray and hazy glows, I noticed another form was fading into view. A large, bulky, humanoid figure.

Huge gusts of wind blew in and forced the smoke to disperse just enough so that I could see below the human's bust. He was wielding a large rifle, and took no time to point it directly at Shadow.

"I got him, sir!" the frantic soldier called to no one. "I'll handle it for you! I'll be the one to finish the job!"

Every inch of me froze, before I inevitably burst forward in panic. My thoughts and actions were now totally parallel.

A soldier was going to shoot Shadow. It was happening right now. No. There was no way I could allow that to happen.

_How can I know if Shadow would be able to deflect a single bullet? Especially in the state he's in? I've never seen it happen myself._

I jumped to my feet and flung my body in front of Shadow's, hugging him tightly with all the strength I had left in me. The electricity was now boiling over, with the Chaos Emerald's ever expanding wave-lengths being strong enough to turn my stomach over and over.

_Could he, at the very least, sustain this type of injury? I mean, he didn't handle getting stabbed very well. I don't know if getting shot would be better or worse._

A sickening sound reminiscent to that of a whip cracked against the lukewarm air. My eyes fluttered. I felt myself jolt forward just a bit from some sort of small, yet powerful impact. All I heard was static.

_Shadow is the Ultimate Life Form. One might think he could take care of himself. What if he doesn't need me? _

_Though there's no explanation for what's happening to him now. Clearly he's in distress, and in no shape to deal with these guys._

Then the stinging started. A deep, raw sort of burn that felt like it was coming from within my shoulder and pulsating outwards. Everything was suddenly bombarded with dizzying filters. I couldn't keep up with what was a product of my own mind, and what was actually happening.

_He was breathing so hard just a moment ago, but now it stopped. Does this mean he's feeling better? _

_Also...why am I hurting so much?_

A hot, thick sort of wetness soaked its way through my sleeve. The fireworks became a tycoon of monstrous carnival colors, the audio of the beach distant and phantom-like. I slumped into Shadow. The energy of Chaos burned between us. It was the only thing I could cling to; the only thing that reminded me I was still alive and breathing, albeit lightly. It was all ebbing at an uneasy rate.

_Is Shadow alright?_

_Am** I** alright?_

_Will Sonic be coming?_

_What's going to happen to the city? To the rest of the world? What about Grandpa?_

_Are we going to make it out okay?_

_Are we going to make it out alive?_

_Are we?_

_Are w_

**(Shadow's POV)**

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't pinpoint why my body had reacted the way it did after launching a set of Chaos Spears. It was this heavy pinch that left me sore in my muscles. Hot coals had formed in every joint, my senses became caught up, briefly, in a storm of disillusion. But how? I hadn't done anything differently from before. There wasn't much about the environment that could influence the effect Chaos had on me. But perhaps, that was because it actually originated from a corresponding person.

A person who was now collapsing her entire weight against me like she'd forgotten how to stand.

I could feel my body's aches rapidly lifting and replacing themselves with a charged impulse. My strengths were returning, _multiplying,_ and I was able to finally focus again even with all the fireworks detonating beyond the floor of the ocean.

I brought one hand up and clamped on Rachel's shoulder. My eyes screwed down towards her, darting quickly to the soldier standing nearby. He held a rifle in unsteady hands. Eyes wide and watery. With cautious footing he stepped away, shaking his head over and over.

That's when I realized Rachel wasn't responding to my grip. In fact, our current of energy was non-existent. Dead. She was only falling more and more instead of picking herself up. It was a struggle to keep her from completely sprawling across the sand.

I moved my hand away and inspected it closely, my heart rate doubling. The threads were soaked in richly dark blood.

_Rachel's wounded._

My eyes flickered back towards the soldier's weapon. A faint vine of smoke hovered from the barrel.

_He shot her._

My demeanor fell completely. I pried Rachel off of me and studied her closely. She wasn't moving. Her eyes were closed. I couldn't even find it in me to hold still long enough so that I could detect breathing. But she was getting colder, and that made me frantic. I couldn't collect my thoughts neatly. Every action I took was mismatched with a noise of distress, all unorganized and out of sync.

I didn't stop and try to revive her with a shove or name call. I didn't yell to anyone for help. The lights were dying into obsurity, the cold water slowing and sloshing against our ankles like teeth made of ice. I felt myself fall into a very dark place, as I scooped Rachel into my arms and made sure that the Chaos Emerald wasn't let go of in the process. She moved unnaturally. She was stone. A sharp knot grew in my chest. She couldn't be dead. She just couldn't be.

Some soldiers were making their way through the distance, moving like ghosts of a war from long ago. The explosions had finished, and all that remained were a few persistent flames, the settling sand, and clouds of water that fell in glittery packs back towards the ocean. The hysteria was over just as soon as it had began. The men were done squabbling like mindless infants. Nothing but silence was left in the smoking aftermath.

And the only blood that had spilt was that of Rachel Tower.

I was shaking now. Shaking as more people collected around us curiously, all suddenly freezing on spot when they realized what had happened since the last pop of fire.

And there was the soldier, who had been the one to shoot her. He sauntered backwards clumsily and turned away in horror. He knew his career had just disintegrated before his very eyes. He'd ended the life of someone important in more ways than one.

I doubled over her, knelt down, and allowed her legs to touch the ground. My breathing was choppy but quiet. I felt my hatred sting viciously like hellfire. Nothing would've satisfied me more than to rip every last one of these men to shreds, starting with the one to murder this girl.

But I wouldn't leave Rachel for an instant. I wanted to be there when she woke up. Because she would. She most definitely would.

The Commander was making his way toward us, his footsteps heavier and slower than that of his youthful, inexperienced army. He called Rachel's name, but it sounded so far off, and I could barely distinguish it over my own swelling nausea.

When I was able to feel his presence closing in, I realized what I had to do. I took the Chaos Emerald and raised it above my head with one buckling arm.

"Chaos Control!"

I had to get out of here before I lost my mind. And I wasn't going to leave her behind.

The command was quick, and far too rushed. I tried to envision Rachel's home. It was where I'd found her after our time apart. It was where she should be right now. Undisturbed. Warm and dry. Alive.

My thoughts lost themselves when I felt the spidery hand of Commander Tower grip me by the arm right as an orb of white swallowed us whole.

He went along with us.

**(Sonic's POV)**

As I pushed past the cluster of trees that paved my way to Station Square's only beach, I couldn't help but notice the dramatic shift in atmosphere. A dense, silvery cloud welcomed me right away, along with a peculiar odor that was doused across the area. Once my feet went from crunching through dead leaves to pounding against sand, I suddenly couldn't remember if this was indeed a beach or a battlefield.

The first thing I noticed were the G.U.N. soldiers. No Commander. No Commander's granddaughter. Just young to middle-aged soldiers, all with fallen helmets so that their identities were made more apparent. Most of them were doubled over and panting, a few even heaving dryly. Some were equipped with guns, others had abandoned said weaponry to slowly slip away into the water without attention or care. As soon as I'd cleared my way and stood but mere feet from them, they transitioned their focus from their own selves to me.

The second thing I noticed was the monstrous motherload of a cannon placed right smack in the middle of the ocean. Large was an understatement. This beast was so monumental I almost whistled in surprise. Some sort of knee-jerk reaction sent my eyes scurrying all over the metal paneling in search of Eggman's logo. After all, who else would set something so threatening as this right here, pointed directly towards the city with only minutes to spare before midnight?

Though I didn't find any stamp, I did notice that this cannon's design was oddly familiar. The memory took no time to make its way back to me.

_Eclipse Cannon_. A name sour enough to leave cobwebs on my tongue. This was just like the same weapon as before except fueled with a pool of testosterone, and set up for a different assault. Also, thankfully enough, it had not a single mutated lizard attached to it. But now wasn't the time to count blessings.

If this Eclipse Cannon Reloaded was wired to go off, it'd undoubtedly be firing very soon. I had to figure out how to disarm it, and fast.

"Look over there! It's him!"

I paused and gazed blankly off to the side. A man with a dark beard pointed towards me, eyes narrowed.

"The evil hedgehog from before! He's come back! Someone get him!"

No one seemed nearly as convinced as he did. I stared back at him dumbfounded.

"Evil hedgehog? Are you talking about Shadow?" Because of course, who else. Humans still had trouble telling me apart from the other giant hedgehogs they encountered on rare instances. Mind boggling.

The man's finger dropped limply. His strong and intense character crumbled. "W-Wait...your voice. I know that voice. Are you...Sonic?!"

I stifled an agitated sigh. Once my name was said out loud, more of the soldiers raised their heads and began shouting it in relief.

"Sonic! We're so glad to see you!" another one yelled. At the sound of this declaration, I could only fold my arms. This was all very routine to me. The scenario was a different flavor, sure, but nothing I was unaccustomed to.

"Oh, you don't understand how terrible it is! That cannon out there was planted by Eggman and the other hedgehog!"

"He was just here! And he took off with Ms. Rachel Tower!"

My ears twitched. Now this was definitely treading new territory.

"The Commander went with him also!"

"That hedgehog just disappeared into thin air! Took both Tower and his granddaughter away to who knows where!"

I mindlessly poked the edge of my mouth in curiosity. Exactly what kind of soap opera was this turning into?

"Do any of you know why he retreated?" I demanded, still altered by a touch of impatience. "Shadow I mean. He wasn't taking Rachel as a hostage again, was he? What kind of threats did he use?" I'd have that faker's head over this if my suspicions were confirmed. He wouldn't just be betraying Rachel. It'd be all of us getting fed to the wolves.

Then, a soldier emerged from behind a few others, head dipped in shame, eyes peeking towards me like a child prepared for scolding.

"No threats, Sonic, sir. I think he left...because...well...Ms. Tower was injured..." he said, before grabbing his head with both hands. "And regrettably, it was all my fault, too!"

I cocked a brow and stepped closer. "What do you mean?"

"I fired at her!" he blurted, which triggered a ripple of uneasiness through his comrades. "Accidentally! I'm so sorry! Honest! I was aiming for Shadow, but she jumped between us and took the bullet instead. Lost a lot of blood...He took off with her and Commander Tower grabbed them before they could-"

"Woah, hold on a minute. You mean to tell me Rachel was _shot?!"_ I gasped, my eyes wide like dinner plates. I could have honestly struck this man for messing up on such a colossal level. But it wasn't entirely his fault. He panicked, and Rachel got in the way of what it was he intentionally tried to do, which was injure or possibly kill Shadow for good. She had wanted to protect Shadow, who in turn decided it'd be best to get her far away from this setting via manipulation of Chaos Control. For that, I could applaud him. Who were they to think violence in her presence was even remotely okay?

I sent another look towards the cannon. It didn't have any sort of timer, or indication of when it would launch, detonate, or whatever. This only made everything a bit more unsettling.

Then, from behind me, I could hear the familiar sound of a plane engine, and boy was it ever music to my ears. Upon turning my head, I found the X Tornado blazing through the sky like a rogue comet. It soared over the ocean before doubling backwards and descending lower until it barely scraped over the cannon, diving towards the water and then the edge of the beach.

Tails geared the plane to an angle that allowed me to see the activity inside. It happened too fast for me to follow accurately, but someone was quick to toss out a colorful set of jewels, and chase it with a nearly inaudible, "Sonic! Take these!"

The Chaos Emeralds hit the sand all at the same time, flashing upon reaching impact. I wasted no time and jetted towards them. My head felt close mathematic combustion just by the simple, but incredibly speedy counting to the number six.

Six.

This would've been the complete set except one. Just one was still missing.

And I think I knew where to find it.

I collected the jewels as fast as I could and set off into the sky.

**(Shadow's POV)**

Fading lights had never felt so slow before. The glow ebbed away after what one could easily mistake for eternity, and we were left in darkness. If Rachel hadn't been so pale I might not have been able to make out any part of her features. But I could see that she was still immobile, though a bit more glossy than before. And her mouth had broken a very thin seam to allow air.

Breathing. She was breathing.

All those visions from fifty years ago were muted instantly with that small, but significant reassurance. I could no longer see myself trapped in a capsule, watching someone close to me choke out a farewell from the other side, dampened by the blood of something fatal. Here, I had nothing separating me from this girl. She had her head in my lap, and I was watching carefully, closely, fingers idly twisting through the sprawled mass of her brown hair.

I could feel her vulnerable human flesh pressing against me, and there was no spark. It had gone. Now there was nothing to tell me that she was special or different. She was just another girl close to death. I found myself fighting back against a weird accumulation that began to sting my eyes. She couldn't respond, and I didn't know how much longer she could hold out.

_I'm sorry, I'm so sorry._

_Please don't go._

_There's so much that you still haven't seen._

From farther away, the Commander stood, disgruntled but still regaining himself quickly after his journey through time and space. I had barely acknowledged him, because he'd lost nearly all importance to me. He took a step in our direction, and at this, I shielded Rachel by pulling her closer. The animal in me surfaced.

"Don't

You

_Dare."_

He seemed so far gone. He didn't grasp what I was saying at all. He kept walking.

"I'm warning you, Tower. There's nothing stopping me from tearing you apart. Stay where you are, or else."

He still wasn't listening. Did he think that age and illness would keep me grounded? He was sorely mistaken.

"Tower!" I suddenly ripped Rachel upright and pulled her to my chest, arms wound around.

"I didn't intend..." he started before slowing his pace. My breathing stopped.

"...to become..."

Then the Commander was on his knees.

"...a monster."

It wasn't working. His sudden shift in emotion wasn't enough to bring my guard down. But every word was like a sweet drop of nectar. I hated this man, and it was tremendously satisfying to know that he was self-aware of how much of a mistake he'd made. No matter what the outcome was for Rachel, he'd remember this for the rest of his miserable life. It'd eat away at him forever.

"History has repeated itself..." he droned on. "And I-...I'm the one to blame for that. I'm the cause of everything." His hands ripped at his scalp. "Why, I'm the reason you bothered taking her in the first place!"

Even I was beginning to feel what might have been sympathy. But not quite. Just less hatred, and more disgust. Tower's mismatched eyes were like sunken rocks in his head. He reached out towards us with open hands, trembling terribly.

"I want to hold my granddaughter," he insisted. "I want to be able to comfort her and protect her just as I did when she was a little girl."

One hand dropped. "When I told her the story of you."

My attentive ears flattened at this. I couldn't hold back a bothered growl. "What you told her was fiction, Tower. A fairytale. It was not my story. It was yours. So don't you dare speak of it as anything but."

Tower went silent at this. Finally, his other hand drooped down in defeat.

"I suppose. And what difference would it make? You saw to it that she endured that _fairytale _as you say. And now look at how far we've fallen! She's wounded because of me and is being..._cradled_ by you. As much as I hate to watch this, I realize which of us is more safe. I can't be near her. How did I mess up so badly? As a man? As a grandfather?"

His voice was beginning to wither now, and at this I sighed. It was as if he was a misbehaved child, caught in the midst of an error and begging for forgiveness. No amount of pity on either part would save Rachel's life.

I finally looked away from him, reached down and began pulling at the zipper on Rachel's loose brown jacket. It was important that I saw the bullet wound, no matter how much it horrify me. I could feel my throat swelling already, but I had to see just how lethal it was.

As I thought, the shirt underneath was saturated in sticky red. It left markings on my gloves, which in turn smeared onto untouched areas as I tried tugging the jacket apart even farther. I began rolling the shirt up from the bottom, when I noticed something underneath the lagoon of blood.

The scar on her stomach that had been there prior. The scar that I had put there not too long ago. It was gone. Nothing was left behind.

I stopped moving and went instantly silent. At first, I tried to pretend it meant nothing, that there were more important things at stake here. But I couldn't dislodge my curiosity. This made no sense to me whatsoever.

Suddenly, the girl jolted in my arms, a thick gasp of air erupting from her. I whisked my head towards her face, relieved yet still unforgivably desperate for something miraculous.

"Rachel, are you-"

Her arms flew around me, and she interrupted me with a smoldering kiss.

**(Rachel's POV)**

**_A few moments earlier._**

"I don't understand it." I said to the only person who would listen. That phantom from before was lingering nearby, coasting circles around me in this black void as she listened to my conscience sputter and complain. Here she had appeared before I managed to pass my own deathly threshold. Here, she accompanied me in limbo.

"Why did I do that?" I demanded, nails digging deep into my palms. "Why would I endanger myself for Shadow? Am I insane? Am I just desperate for attention? And why don't I know the answer to my own questions?!"

The voice sighed in a tone cool and smooth like milk.

"There's nothing left for me to tell you. You know why you did it. You just can't grasp it. You don't want to believe you'd do it at all, much less with the help of rational thought. But I made the same sacrifice, Rachel. We have our reasons. So if you're insane, then I'm no better. And there's nothing wiser that I can lend you."

I felt around for her for the umpteenth time. This torturous girl, disguised as the sprite from a wilted photograph.

Maria Robotnik.

The nerve she had being ambiguous, not feeding me the answers I quenched for.

Alien lights finally shone down and granted me a view of her. She looked exactly as I'd seen her in my grandfather's picture. Stained by different hues of brown, not really a person but rather a memory. I'd seen her a few chance times in dreams, and sometimes briefly when I closed my eyes. I'd dismissed the idea of her just being my imagination, or the product of madness. She seemed too smart, too calm, too independently spoken to be something conjured up from my own mind. She very much existed, in a space between worlds not seen by other mortal eyes. She felt real. And maybe in this instance, she was, as she was welcoming me alongside her in the world of those no longer alive. I'd gotten shot. Soon I'd be colored in brown too. Soon I'd only be a memory.

What tore me up the most about dying was not that I was young. Not that I had yet to experience the things that all humans were entitled to; love, adventure, happiness, action and fantasy. It was how I had such an unsatisfying lack of closure.

"However," she followed, "You aren't quite dead yet. That's the tricky part. You still have a chance to change your fate. A chance that I admit, I'm sort of jealous of."

I coiled in on myself and breathed heavily. Shutting my eyes made not a single bit of difference.

"What do I do?"

"Fight it. To survive, you must embrace that of which you've always feared."

"But I don't understand," I stated quickly. I couldn't help but hyperventilate softly. Her poetry was beginning to grind. "This isn't helping me. I don't know why I keep making it through so many instances where I should be dead. Especially now. This should be it."

"Because Shadow's energy is at its ripest," she responded. "Sixteen years has brought him to where he is now. It's him who's kept you functioning. How else do you think your markings disappeared from before?"

And now I was growing angry. This spirit may have been close with Shadow, but her painting him in all white colors was driving my crazy. She seemed to sense this, as if my head was a wide open window. Her breathing grew quiet, her eyes closed and she shook her head a few times.

"Look around you, Rachel."

I didn't.

"Notice how dark it all is."

I already had.

"Denial is ignorance, and ignorance is blindness."

I paused.

"Huh?"

"Your ignorance limits you. Your biases hinder you. Blindness. You are blind. And when you are blind, how can you know what separates light from shadow?"

Those words triggered something. It suddenly all melted away like drug-induced water color. Maria was the only thing my eyes held onto, her beautiful face beaming towards me, as senses returned and I felt myself being lifted. All the darkness turned into wet ink dribbling away. I moved vertically, past endless fields of starry fabric until she was minimized to a dot of amber before disappearing completely. An electricity was pulsating. Pressure returned. And before I could stop it, a bubble of oxygen forced its way out of my throat and back into the real world, yanking me along with it.

I found myself staring wide-eyed at Shadow the Hedgehog, who in turn mirrored my expression.

I took that short second to drink in his features, a series of flashbacks clicking like slides behind my eyes, and finally, I threw my arms around his neck and pulled him close.

I kissed him. Hard.

Chaos went to work immediately.


	34. NOT A REAL CHAPTER

_~ Testing testing~_ Hello? Is this thing on? Oh, okay, I can hear my own reverb…._reverb….reverb._ Awkward.

Uhh...ahem. Right so, off to it then.

Hello dearest reader and welcome to the chapter that's solely dedicated to being the author's shoddy apology.

_-A distant "You suck, dude!" can be heard at the back of the stadium-_

Yeah thanks, Captain Obvious. I know. I know this very well and have thought about it for quite a while.

I really.

Do.

Suck.

And the fact that I'm even making this just cements the fact that I am absolute trash.

But that's beside the point! I wanted to say I'm sorry to all the people out there who read We Will Always Be Enemies only for it to come to a dead stop right before it ends. Talk about a buzzkill. I haven't updated since what...April? Good god time goes by fast.

The next chapter is in the works! It's at about 4,000 words actually. So that's the good news. The bad news is that there's still a lot more I need to cover before concluding it. Oh yeah, it's one of THOSE chapters. And that's not even counting an epilogue I desperately want to include before claiming this story is complete.

Why has it taken so long? Well...honestly I many reasons I could sing back to you, but at the end of the day it's pretty much inexcusable. I could blame it on school, or my social life, or my job, or my other projects that dictate my time, but I know there are people with heavier responsibilities who keep themselves organized better than I do. I won't try to justify anything, and will instead just say sorry, and sorry again.

That said, I have gotten a review from an anonymous somebody telling me I'm going to die if I don't update the story.

...Yeah uh, shut up. You're lucky I'm not in some deep depression or something. You really can't just go throwing that shit around. Don't be a brat.

Ignoring that person, all the other reviews since the last chapter have been overwhelmingly positive and serve as great inspiration to keep writing. I love all of you to death, and wouldn't have gotten this far if it weren't for your politeness and patience. I scroll through them and read each one over and over again, and they never fail to make me smile.

Alright alright, now back to important things. Assuming there are people out there who still care about the fate of We Will Always Be Enemies, never fear! The new (and final) chapter should be coming out before the year is over! In fact, it will probably be updated on the 31st if I can help it, to correlate with the in-universe's date. New Year's Eve.

I'm really excited to finish this story. There are things I wish I had changed or omitted completely, but never the less I love it to death and wouldn't have it any other way. It's been ongoing for quite a long time. I started it while I was in high school and now I'm in college! It may not seem like a huge deal to some, but it really does feel like I've grown with this story, as well as become a better writer, and all of you who have been reading got to go along on the adventure with me. I want to thank every single one of you, whether you've reviewed or not. The story has been read by so many people all over the world, and it's almost at 400 reviews! I would have NEVER in my wildest dreams imagined that my first submission on this website would get so popular.

So once again, thank you all very much, and I hope to hear from you in the future. It is not your obligation to review this chapter. You'd be more inclined to PM me on your thoughts. I welcome PMs with open arms, especially since I wish to delete this chapter later if at all possible.

I'll see you at the next chapter! Until then!

_-mic drop- _


	35. Forever

**(Shadow's POV)**

One eye was dark and mossy The other made of magic.

Even through her closed eyelids, I could see the light pooling beneath her lashes and beading down her face in lime embers. Like tears, except on fire. Her nose, while smashed against mine, tightened up instantly. She was grimacing. It was hard to tell if it was Chaos hurdling her into unpleasantness, or my own mouth that caused such a negative reaction. I couldn't be bothered enough to care.

"Mmm...Sh...Sha..."

She tried to speak, but I didn't let her finish. Nothing could be said. Not now. I only pressed into her harder.

Our faces fastened like a circuit to an outlet. A connection was being made. Sparks were flying, quite literally, and bordering our faces in a carousel of stars. My heart was racing, my energy boiling madly. I pushed myself deeper into our kiss and hoped by some miracle that she would respond in a similar fashion.

My thoughts became a typhoon when she actually opened her mouth just a little, allowing my tongue the slightest bit of entrance. A peek. I pressed the muscle against her lower lip and felt the electricity bite it back. The current became stronger, and so did she.

A wiry lobe of Chaos formed a cavern in place of where the bullet had been in her shoulder. The beams brightened from an olive color until they were white, and the auditory particles bundled tightly around each other, latching onto the walls of the narrow wound. They compressed together until they began to shrink in tiny beads. The hole was closing. She was healing.

My roaming eyes finally fell shut, and I wrapped both arms around my hostage and pressed my mouth against hers with as much weight as I could without hurting her. This was a real, true kiss. A total contrast from the first time. It felt_ right. _

I presented in her every personal emotion I had ever kept shoved away. I showed her my infatuation, my fondness, my assurance that what I felt was not something I was accustomed to, but also something I was no longer ashamed to admit and practice openly. Even if for just one time. One _last_ time.

My heart fluttered when her hands found my back and held onto it with just the smallest inkling of shy affection, before she inevitably pulled away and broke our linking mouths.

She opened her eyes. The altered one was shining as if fixed in sunlight even with the soupy darkness and smoke hanging overhead. She released several rapid breaths, her hands falling away. She'd gotten her heat back, her consciousness back. She was stunned. Nothing short of raw surprise.

"Shadow." My name drifted into the air and out towards the henna skies, like a curse having not been uttered in a thousand years. She said it once, my name, and then again in a whisper as if to solidify that she had crossed back over into reality, and that this itself was not a hallucination or a dream or a toeing of the threshold between life and death.

I nodded in return, and greeted with a, "Rachel, I'm here," as kindly as I possibly could.

I knew what was about to come next. We wanted to smile...at the absurdity of our actions, and the relief that everything had so far worked in our favor. But any possible festivity was immediately grayed. My ear twitched at the sound of a gun cocking. I turned my head.

Abraham Tower was now on his feet, trembling, eyes distant and confused. To my surprise, there was no rage in his expression. The only thing to suggest that he was pissed on every level humanely possible was the way his gun now pointed at me and his finger hovered against the trigger. He seemed to forget for a moment that Rachel was still in my arms. Otherwise it didn't make sense for him to aim a weapon in my direction that nearly ended her life just moments ago.

"Get away from her," the Commander said slowly, hotly, his voice a furnace a hatred.

I didn't need to be told twice. Something about his demeanor warned me not to test his patience. I obliged by tearing away from the teenage girl, and the Chaos Emerald, unraveling our limbs and side-stepping so that I was further away from her and felt the edge of the building lingering near my ankles.

**(Rachel's POV)**

Dizzy wasn't the right word to describe how I felt. It was only the introductory word that preceded a long paragraph of flowered adjectives. I'd been caught in another hurricane of Chaos; my organs were all bombarded by foreign wavelengths. And on top of that I'd lost a lot of blood, even if the bullet wound had been healed completely. I felt like my vision had flipped. Turning my head left sent my surroundings careening to the right. My eye was burning. All sounds came out with a slight delay. Shadow's heat separated from me and I was lost, feeling around for his presence and only met with emptiness. I saw my grandfather's arm smear upward, and noticed the gun bobbing back and forth in black pixels. I grabbed a handful of hair and tugged, aggravated, nervous.

"No...grandpa, wait!" I yelled, my voice holding perfect clarity even when my head did not. Just as I thought, my mouth moved, but the actual sound that came from it didn't register until a few seconds later. Grandfather looked towards me, his body suddenly becoming different colors and hues. His hair was blue, his skin orange, then yellow and purple, transitioning feverishly. Patterns were snaking through his features, but I was able to still see a somber frown, and his wide eyes that ghosted through the spectrum at different rates, each separate colors just how they were naturally.

I tried to crawl to my feet. My fingers raked the ground but I only tripped. Groaned.

My lips twisted to form more words, and only after they ceased and I struggled to stand once again did I hear my own self shout desperately, "_I won't let you kill him!"_

Just then, the Chaos Emerald in Shadow's grasp began illuminating a soft green. It rattled slightly before jetting from his hands and soaring upwards and out of sight. Like a reverse shooting star.

From where it disappeared, something above the clouds started to glow, sending the underbelly into indigo shadows. A beam of light broke through, and a glaring comet came shooting straight for us. We all watched in awe as the light grew brighter the closer it got, until it was riding along the edge of the building, glowing like a sprite from the heavens. I had to squint. It was very much like staring into the sun and seeing the flickering form of a hedgehog bleed through, with two burning, orange irises lolling every which way. _What?_

The sight printed purple matter all throughout my eyes. But I could see it was Sonic. He was yellow. He was made of light and gold.

_...And I repeat...What?_

I thought I might have been mistaken. It seemed plausible that this was another symptom of my slow recovery. Hallucinating...Sonic. But after clawing desperately to what remained of my normal vision, I saw that I wasn't wrong. It was in fact the hero my planet knew so well.

The formerly blue hedgehog had been reincarnated into something magnificent. His quills had risen upright, his body sparkled like a gemstone set ablaze. He didn't seem to notice me or my grandfather, and if he did, I hadn't managed to catch it. His luminescent hand left the comfort of his aura and thrust itself towards Shadow, who only stared back, absolutely dumbfounded.

"Shadow, there isn't much time!" Sonic shouted over the whirring of his energy. "Come with me! I need your help right now!"

My neck grew limp, causing my head to tilt. What in the world was he talking about?

Shadow gave no response. He instead looked away from the glowing doppelganger before him and glanced to me. My insides melted.

For the first time since I'd met him, I saw a trace of something in Shadow's eyes I'd never seen before. _Fear. _I almost gasped at how strange it was.

What did he have to be afraid of? I wracked my brain for answers, but everything had been wiped clean and left as a blank canvas. Nothing plausible would register.

I knew that whatever Sonic was intending, whatever exciting peril he was desperate to hurl the Ultimate Life Form into despite their politics or previous altercations, I was eager to watch the two of them join together and flee away from here. I was drunken off Chaos and the high from sharing Shadow's kiss. I wasn't able to protect Shadow myself, not that I could have soberly and with proper mind traction. That didn't turn out so well the first time.

He needed to get away from here. Fast. I wanted all guns away from him. I wanted him to shed his vulnerability, to share Sonic's apparent invincibility.

My knees shuddered once, and I felt faint. I nodded to Shadow, urging him to follow Sonic.

Even if he didn't like him.

Even if he tried to kill him before.

They needed each other now in the worst way. They needed to be away from here. I'd be left alone, but to me it was worth the sacrifice.

When he didn't budge, I nodded again, feeling tears scorch my eyes.

_Please, Shadow._

_Just go._

_Now._

**(Shadow's POV)**

_She doesn't understand. If I merge with with all seven Chaos Emeralds and hoist my power to such severity...I'll lose her. _

_I'll lose you, Rachel. Everything about you that I've held inside me for so long will burst forth and then cease to exist. I'll forget we ever encountered one another, that our paths ever crossed, puppeteered by Chaos itself. Our experiences will be washed away. Your face will be swallowed by black. Forever._

_This isn't what I wanted. I don't want to do this again. But now I don't have a choice in the matter._

_I brought this on myself._

_If only I could spin the universe backwards and re-map every chapter written along the way. I doomed myself from the beginning. I should never have gone looking for Eggman, or Chaos Emeralds. I should have gone looking for you, Rachel. Had I known. It's what I needed all along. You were what I needed. _

My fists knotted and I glared at her, teeth clenching. My barricades were crumbling. I wanted to collapse.

_There's nothing I can do to change this, and I hate it. I hate not having that control. I want it. I want her._

Before I could process the sudden stinging in my eyes, I locked my hand with Sonic's and felt the air around us turn into a vast, swirling umbrella of heat and alien energy. From my body, my skull, pulsated the purest form of Chaos I could harness, my black fur transitioning to a pale gold like I was a lantern being brought to life.

I cast my eyes toward her. I knew I shouldn't have. I was grappling desperately onto her image. Her body was cast in yellow. She was smiling.

Sonic then pulled me towards the ocean. The whole way, the farther I got from her, the more I lost myself.

My apparatuses were on the brink of combustion.

**(Rachel's POV)**

I was finally beginning to feel like myself again. My whole body, previously submerged in Hellfire, and black, and black Hellfire, was finally one again with the world it knew so well. I was still dizzy and slow, but it was reassuring to know that I could even feel these things at all. I wasn't irreversibly damaged. At least, not as far as I could tell. It was the most relief I'd felt in all the years I'd been alive. I could've wept when I was finally able to stand on two feet and watch the lingering paths that the two airborne hedgehogs had left in their wake.

The thrill of humanity was tugged short once I met glances with my own grandfather. He stood erect, cloaked by nightly smoke, the whites of his eyes bearing a thick border around jade and amber irises. My stomach threatened to fall straight out my ass. So many phantom thoughts encripted on just a single face. I almost found myself on my knees again.

I wanted to slap myself when I said possibly the worst, most cliche thing I could've come up with in that moment.

"...I can explain."

_Oh, can you, Rachel? Well, lah dee fucking dah! At least we have you to count on, then!_

"I-I mean, I can explain some things..." I corrected myself quickly, burning with embarrassment. I was back-peddling. I don't think I could've said much else to bury my hole even deeper. He'd watched me and Shadow lock lips. But it wasn't what he thought it was. Was it?

It turned out not to matter at all, because my grandfather stopped me by holding a rigid palm in the air. I was caught off guard. His stature came off as eerily calm.

"Don't push yourself," he instructed grimly, the gun no longer present. I noticed his hand beginning to shake, as if fighting gravity was a sort of gnawing task. "I don't want you to feel burdened by all that's happened. I'm happy to see you alive, Rachel. It's all that matters to me. But still, I..."

He cut himself short and turned to face the direction that Sonic and Shadow had soared towards. His voice soured. "I _hate_ Shadow for what he's done. This is low, even for a monster like him. Just thinking of all the evil he's committed thus far makes me see red. I've underestimated him and the lengths he'll go to terrorize whatever unfortunate planet he encounters, and the people he comes into contact with. He's made it personal in ways I didn't think he was capable of."

His words were, for the most part, just apparitions colored darkly but otherwise completely transparent to me. I'd heard him say all this before, with different words. And yet the word _monster_ triggered something inside. It was something old me would've allowed, but new me wouldn't accept lying down. I felt defensive. I started to get angry again, and the only thing subduing it was my weakness from awakening.

"Grandpa, before you make any crazy assumptions, you should listen to me. Just this once. And then you will never have to again."

He was listening; that much was evident. But he wouldn't look at me. I paused for a moment and waited to see if he'd ever do so out of respect, but when his glare remained cast across the architecture of a nearly abandoned Station Square, I sighed, arms pulled to my chest, and squinted my eyes with frustration.

"Shadow is_ not_ a monster. Far, far from it. What he did here...what_ I_ did here...it was meant to help me. He saved my life. Without him, I'd be dead right now. And that accounts for more than just tonight. You really should know that."

Before I could prepare myself, the old man had stormed toward me and was now towering overhead, looming forth, face twisted to unrecognizable, gargoyle-esque proportions. His outraged eyes settled on mine from above, two white hot saucers. My teeth threatened to chatter.

"Exactly what happened after he snatched you away?! Because clearly there's some details I might've missed. You haven't opened up to anyone about what happened while you were captured...and now's your chance! What did he do to you?! Why is this even remotely acceptable behavior for either of you?! Do you feel something for that hedgehog? _Do you?!"_

I was at a loss for words. When I didn't respond, the man grabbed my shoulders and shook me. The world spun faster. "He kissed you, Rachel! Tell me, is this the first time something like this happened?! Has he done that to you before?!"

So many questions, some that not even I could answer. Now I wanted to cry. Oh, how I wanted to cry so badly. But it wouldn't have helped my case at all.

"Well, did he?!"

I bowed my head in shame. I could feel myself shrinking. I had never wanted anyone to find out about what happened with us.

"Yes...I-It happened once before, but-"

"And what did you do about it?!" the Commander demanded an explanation.

"I punched him in the head. But that's not the point!"

Finally, he released me and paced to another end of the building with fingers gnarling through his white hair. "I don't believe this. It's Chaos that did this to you. It was Chaos from the very beginning! It has to be my fault in some way. It always is!"

He whirled around, bearing a crazed expression. "Rachel, you can't for a moment think that hedgehog finds you special! He doesn't know what special is! This has nothing to do with _love._ It's science! Pure, raw, unforgiving science. I know it's hard for a young girl to understand, but that's the way it is! It would have the very same effect if I were to kiss him myself! It means...virtually..._nothing!"_

"Grandpa, please. All I wanted was for you to listen, and you can't even do that?"

"So he_ has_ done this before. If you 'punched him in the head,' it means you didn't initiate it. You didn't want it to happen. But he did. He gave in to his rudimentary desires. He's enslaved by the very power that brought him to life. Nothing more than an immortal bent by his own insanity!"

"Alright!" I prompted. "That's enough! I'm sick of you talking this way!"

"He'll stop at nothing until the world around him-"

"I want _you_ to stop!"

"-Burns at his feet!"

Without warning, the sound of a gunshot whipped the air before dying down in static echoes. Commander Tower was silenced. Seconds dragged by until I was able to draw any sort of connection and realize what I'd heard, and what was happening. Slowly, a gasp fell from my mouth like molasses.

Abraham Tower stood now, still, except for the red pouring from the front of his thigh like a waterfall. The dark green of his uniform was blackened by his own blood. He stumbled a bit before falling. I would've shrieked if surprise hadn't robbed me of my voice entirely.

I whirled around to find Dr. Eggman standing atop the building, red pistol pointed forth, a ribbon of smoke ghosting through the air before it became nothing. He wasn't grinning, but rather lazily smirking as he dropped the weapon to his side and shook his head as if in scolding.

"My my, so much racket. Some might forget he's nothing more than a frail, sick old man. what with the way he's carrying on up here."

I was quivering. "E-Eggma..." I rasped, unable to finish. His attention snapped to me and a devilish smile broke through.

"Oh, good to see you again, Rachel Tower. What a play on words that this would have eventually become our setting. Heh. Get it? _Tower?_ You're probably not in the mood for jokes."

My eyes widened when he moved the barrel over so that it was aiming at me.

"How about we try this again? And this time with no lovesick rodents to ruin our fun."

And before I could say anything in retaliation, the building we stood upon began to shake.

**(Shadow's POV)**

My thoughts were loud enough to form echoes. My path was beginning to stagger while Sonic led the way, urging me to go further before I went completely dead-weight.

"Remember, we only have until midnight!" he said, his own voice almost lost beneath the choir of Chaos energy. "That gives us three minutes tops! It's important we fix this before it's too late!"

When I didn't answer right away, the planet's hero looked back and growled lowly. _"Shadow?_ Don't you know what to do?"

I was too busy gripping onto angst-ridden memories to respond to him straight away. I heard him, but remained silent. We reached the beach in record time, and shared the sky as space to hover above Eggman's ticking time bomb. Sonic, with judging eyes quickly shook his attention away from me and geared it instead towards the weapon in question. When he idled, it became clear that we was incredibly unsure about what to do next.

So with all the strength I could pull forth in my moment of turmoil, I scrunched my eyes shut before reopening them, huffing once and taking in the air stained with ammunition.

"Let's go under."

Sonic said nothing as I grabbed his hand and catapulted the both of us into the ocean. I could feel the splash behind us creating mountains. Beneath the surface of the water everything was muffled, wavering, and incredibly dark. It was helpful that we were producing our own light.

Sonic and I both held our mouths shut, occasionally pushing bubbles through our noses. Other than that, we relied solely on body language to set the hurried plan into motion. The azure hero, whom was usually hydrophobic, had eons of confidence now with his invincibility. He nodded towards me, and I directed him towards a shaft at the base of the bomb, dawdling right above the pale sand.

I pointed with a single stern finger, and he obliged to my silent order by prying the steel open like it were paper. Inside the bomb was a maze of wires all immune to H2O.

His eyes shot back to me, and said what he could not. _What the hell do I need to do?_

I understood why he kept restraint. One wrong move and the whole of Station Square would be obliterated.

I drifted closer to him, pointing inside and making motions with my fingers. I traced a finger tip along a slivered wire without actually tugging it loose, and then made a quick swiping motion.

_Go inside. Don't touch anything._

Sonic's eyes widened to full capacity. _Go inside?!_

He almost resisted my shoving him into the hull, before he remembered that trusting me was all he could do right now.

The blue hedgehog slipped the rest of himself inside while I followed after. It was incredibly claustrophobic, fighting a mess of cords while underwater. We noted several lights and buttons within the hollow bomb, and one screen specifically caught our attention unanimously.

00:00:30

00:00:29

00:00:28

Sonic released a gasp in one fluttering bubble. He turned to me, ready for the next order.

But I was already removing my inhibitor rings. One by one, they fell away, reflecting various blue and red pinpricks of light before sinking slowly into the mangled wires.

I felt a new sense awakening, my power veered into catastrophic proportions. As my aura brightened, I took Sonic's hands into my own, meeting his orange eyes.

He understood immediately what I wanted. With a stern nod, the two of us shut our eyes and yelled, as loudly and clearly as we could in the depths of the ocean...

_"CHAOS CONTROL!"_

**(Rachel's POV)**

As I fought to maintain my balance, I looked all around me for the source of the sudden movement. The building was quaking, almost shaking on its foundation. I stepped this way and that, teetering in one spot while my grandfather lay bleeding not far from me.

Dr. Eggman's eyes channeled from one side to the next, his mustache twitching.

"Just as I suspected..." he said quietly. "This place has just about reached its expiration as a standing brick."

Finally, my focus snapped back to him. "What did you do?!"

The mad scientist chortled to himself, passing the gun from one hand to the next in a dance of mockery. "Absolutely nothing. I'd actually place the blame on Sonic this time. It was his jets that shot this building in the first place."

When it was clear how puzzled I was, he elaborated with, "This building that we're standing on is damaged. Quite significantly."

Another shudder. My breathing rate tripled as I stepped around, watching the floor and waiting for it to collapse beneath me.

"I wouldn't count on it to stay up much longer."

And suddenly, it all clicked. I had to get my grandfather down from here. Sneaking a quick glance, I found him rolling weakly in place, groaning, and swallowed hard.

Dr. Eggman hummed to himself. "I'll tell you what."

I averted back to him. This I had to hear.

"I know this whole using a gun thing is in incredibly poor taste, but after a pair of hedgehogs completely ruined my plans," his smile twitched. "I've run out of options, and I'm becoming a desperate man. This is all I'm left with.

So how about this: I'll save your grandpa if you accept your execution."

My heart sank. Accept my execution? Did he mean...let myself be killed? By _him?_

My questions were answered when he beckoned me.

"Get over here."

I couldn't believe it. After all this, the one thing Eggman still wanted above most everything else was me dead. Whether it was to fuck with Shadow, or my grandfather, I couldn't tell. But I knew it had little to do with our own personal differences. I was a catalyst. Simple as that.

Before I could really process my own doom, I'd already started to step towards him.

"No, Rachel!" my grandfather shouted. I winced at the sound of my name. He'd lost me once tonight, and he was going to lose me again. This time forever.

I didn't want to die, but I couldn't live with myself if my grandfather didn't make it. His blood would be on my hands.

I walked toward him, remembering everything life had ever offered me and how it all led up to this. This really was the end.

I dismissed my calmness for shock, or possibly denial.

In a few moments it wouldn't matter either way.

**(Shadow's POV)**

The pair of us materialized, along with the Supernova Cannon, somewhere far beyond the atmosphere. Earth's horizon was bending at the edges, a thin line of it glowing blue. I watched from within the bomb before taking Sonic into my smoldering grip and tearing both of us out into the open. The last sight I caught of the timer showed it nearing its close.

00:00:05

00:00:04

The barrel of the cannon was pointed upright, towards a sea of stars. Sonic and I bolted as far away from it as possible as it hung suspended in space.

"Glad you came through, Shadow," Sonic admitted to himself as he watched with intrigue. "How did you know what to do?"

He probably assumed my next answer would be a revelation about my elaborate scheme to thwart Eggman, and how I had succeeded in overthrowing his plot through betrayal and trickery. But given my time and nuanced thoughts, there was only one thing I could say. The truth.

"I didn't."

The Supernova Cannon show forth a beam of raw, white energy that disappeared into oblivion, before blowing up with spectacular destruction. Debris shot forward, barely missing Sonic and I as it disintegrated in embers back towards the planet.

What Dr. Eggman hadn't foreseen was the power of his own contraption. Not even it could withstand its strength. The cannon had been doomed from the start.

I smirked to myself, collecting my inhibitor rings as they floated nearby. I clamped them back over my wrists and breathed deeply.

_It's a good thing I never helped him._

My rival and I shared a glance of mutual satisfaction, nodding once before straying away and hurdling back to Earth and pinpointing ourselves to the city.

It was an odd feeling, victory. I had been something of a stranger to it for so long now. There were small bursts here and there, but not the overwhelming mass that I was feeling now.

I'd won.

Happy New Years.

But celebration would have to be cut short soon. I needed to reach Rachel immediately, and share with her a little more of my time. Because that's what I was running out of.

_Time._

**(Rachel's POV)**

When I was directly in front of him, Eggman pointed the gun straight to my head. I could've turned away and let him bury the bullet in the back of my skull like a real execution. But the thought of seeing my grandfather's horror-stricken face in my final moments convinced me that it was a terrible idea.

With a deep breath, I came to terms with my fate. The chills were rolling off me. I shut my eyes and waited.

"Any last words?"

Those four syllables electrified me, and sent my conscience into a screaming panic. My eyes flew open, my mind grasping for the only words I could come up with. They were accompanied by the swift movement of my arm soaring forward. In those few milliseconds, I thought about just how much I hated Dr. Eggman, and it caused me to glow red.

_"Chaos..."_

Oh, how I hated him so.

"BLAST!"

The sound was quick. One second I had my hand thrust towards him, evading the gun and hovering above his chest, and the next a tight compression of energy released through my palm and burst at him like lava.

My ears were ringing. All I could do was watch the Doctor stumble back, his facial hair wind-blown and bits of his clothing seared by fire, before he completely toppled off the building, firing once at the sky before he'd descended out of view.

Quickly, I stepped into the space where he once was and watched his body fall several meters. The thought of witnessing him hit the pavement both scared me but excited me greatly.

I felt another emotion entirely when his hovercraft sped into view and caught him mid-fall with its available cushioning. Behind him, Decoe and Bocoe were panicking over what might have been their deceased creator, as he was lying unconsciously in the navigator's seat. Bocoe reached over him, grabbed hold of a control and piloted the three of them far out of sight, stealing a glance with me that said absolutely nothing.

They were gone. From Earth, maybe not. But they had fled Station Square. Hopefully for good.

I was burning hot. I took deep breaths to calm myself down. My whole body felt like one giant ember. I silently thanked Shadow for indirectly kissing power into my very soul.

Through my peripheral, I noticed flames raining from the sky in eerie silence.

My hearing returned. A bell was tolling.

Midnight.

It was now midnight.

Slowly, as if in a trance, I neared the edge while staring towards the heavens. Small pieces of shimmering metal rained from the clouds, illuminated by scarlet and gold.

Two colors that immediately snapped me back to my senses.

"Grandpa!"

Without a shred of grace, I stumbled my way back to my grandfather. He lay now in pooling red. His eyes were closed, so I shook him more roughly than I meant to.

The old man grimaced.

"Your hands are burning hot...Rachel..."

I sighed heavily with relief, my eyes threatening to brim with tears.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

His hair was tussled and he looked a bit dirty. It became more apparent as the clouds continued parting, revealing a moon that would be full under regular circumstances. White light gave me a chance to see his wound, and what I discovered was still leaking freshly.

"You shouldn't be sorry, Rachel."

And then, reality slapped both of us with its backhand. The building shook violently once again. I realized right then that we were out of options. I may have evaded death a bit longer by blasting Eggman away with my temporary power, but what could I do now?

I then had an epiphany. There was only one more thing to try. Quickly, I clutched my grandfather's hand and concentrated hard on a new setting.

"Chaos Control!"

My eyes were squinted shut, my skin scorching his with its fading abilities. I assumed right away that the process must be delayed, because we weren't moving whatsoever.

I was starting to pant when my grandfather nearly broke me of my concentration.

"Rachel...it's over."

"No!" I shouted, aware of my own stubbornness. I gave it another shot.

"CHAOS CONTROL!"

"Sweetheart. You're worn out," Grandpa explained. "Or maybe you can't do it yourself. You don't have the Chaos Emerald. It's not going to happen."

I squeezed my other palm into a knot, as if trying to engulf any last of Chaos' dwelling power and manually force it back through my veins. But no matter how hard I tried, no matter how hard I put everything I had left into making this final attempt, we went no where. The building shook again.

Tears were finally starting to pour over. I tended to my grandfather, holding still as I could while he cupped a hand over my cheek.

"Rachel, listen to me."

My face lifted. I knew what came next. We needed to say our apologies, and our goodbyes to one another.

"If you turn around you'll find there's another building behind you."

Shell-shocked. I shook my head. Languages weren't registering. All I heard were garbled sounds, warped by my own hysteria.

"If you jump to it, you should be okay."

Then I understood his implication, and jolted in place.

"No."

"You have to go now."

_"No."_

"It's the only way you can survive this. I'm an old man, I'm already not meant to be around much longer. I wouldn't mind leaving the world in such a poetic way."

_"NO!"_ I screamed, my face reddening before becoming stained with tears. "I'm not going to leave you here! I won't abandon you!"

"Rachel...It's not abandoning me. It's realizing my wish. I want to see Maria, anyway."

_"Maria..."_ the name sent chills down my spine.

Finally, the building started to give way. It swayed more and more, bits crumbling off the sides. I looked around frantically, feeling my grandfather's hand leave and retreat to his own body. It amazed me how at ease he was.

"Do you remember the story I told you nine years ago?"

Of course I remembered. Dare I say it kickstarted this entire adventure. My pulse throbbed mercilessly as I nodded, accidentally releasing a sob.

And then, he cracked a smile, bringing with it the fluctuating grooves of his wrinkles.

"Don't."

I was silenced instantly. I realized what he was saying, and my mouth fell open.

He didn't have time to say sorry for anything, or maybe he didn't want to. That one word was enough to change everything about my world and his. The weight of it was heavier than the universe. I couldn't save him. He knew this. He accepted it. And he accepted that of all the great things he'd accomplished, that the story was one thing he did that was completely and utterly _wrong._

One detail did stand out to me though.

Family mattered more to him than anything.

He said nothing further, even when I dawdled patiently. A single tear fell from his green eye. He smiled brighter.

_Go._

"I love you, Grandpa. I do. I do," I choked, rising hesitantly as the building trembled one final time before caving.

I knew that if I spent too much time trying to immortalize his face in my mind, I would lose my own. With tear-filled eyes, I bolted to the other side of the roof, watching the Earth beneath me grow closer.

The structure tilted ahead, allowing me the advantage of leaping to a neighboring tower before it fell apart like dust.

The sound was loud and almost endless. I lay atop a completely different building, bruised, battered, exhausted, with nothing but a few stray pieces of concrete left to accompany me.

I curled up in a ball and wept.

Hard.

It was _over. _

But not in the way I wanted.

**(Shadow's POV)**

"You know, Shadow, I really didn't give you the benefit of the doubt."

I rolled my eyes at his obnoxious compliment, only looking ahead of me. But of course, my refusal to conversate wasn't enough to keep him from carrying on by himself.

"Here I was, thinking that you were the enemy. And in a way, you were. Oh boy, you were."

_Zip it, hedgehog before I find the zipper myself._

"I think you've done more than just redeem yourself though," I could hear the grin in his voice, and it nauseated me. "You're a hero now, Shadow!"

_Yeah right...hero._

"That means you're almost as cool as me!"

My irises panned to him, presenting something far from anger, but also far from friendliness.

Both he and I were still in our Super forms. I knew that it wouldn't last much longer. The moment he broke away from Chaos' bindings, I would as well. So I made a request I wasn't entirely sure I deserved.

"Sonic..."

The blue hedgehog looked over, curious.

"I have one thing to ask of you..."

It was difficult saying anything to him now that we maintained eye contact. I broke away, hissing at my own cowardice before continuing. "Don't release yourself from Chaos just yet. I want to be the one to initiate it."

"Shadow," Sonic's brow furrowed. "I get where you're going with this. I know you might have things you'd like to do first, but we can't be that far apart while in these forms anyway. We're sharing power."

"We can go far enough."

Sonic said nothing. I finally turned to glare at him again, and found that he looked utterly stunned. Definitely unsure of what to say next.

"I just need to have that control. I'm not trying anything devious."

I was fairly sure Sonic knew in his heart the focus of my intentions. He might not have been certain why it paralleled to being powered by Chaos, but he knew better than to question it. My agenda had Rachel written all over it, which was something I treasured wholeheartedly for the time I had left with it.

"Okay, Shadow," he smiled softly. "I trust you."

Crash. Wave of relief washing all over. I would have thanked him if my dignity hadn't been in locked away such rigid quarters.

By the time we reached this agreement, the pair of us were flying above Station Square, far from the ground but not from some of the buildings. I examined my surroundings, locating the place where Rachel and Commander Tower had been.

Every sense in my body turned to static when I found there was no longer anything left of it. Only a thick cloud of dust remained, like a ghost, while the rest had been reduced to rubble piling into empty streets.

"No..."

I was panicking. We'd only been gone a few minutes. How could this have happened.

"Rachel!"

When I inched just a few feet closer, I noticed a tiny splotch on another building close by. A very human-esque splotch. It was cradling itself. Instantly the tension in my shoulders rolled away. I knew it was Rachel, and she was in one piece.

But Tower was no where to be seen.

"Check the city for injured survivors," I instructed Sonic quietly. Surprisingly, he obliged almost instantly and disappeared from my side.

I went alone to tend to what once was my captive.

**(Rachel's POV)**

By the time I'd stopped crying, there was a puddle accumulating next to my head. The side of my face, as well as handfuls of my hair were rendered soggy. I sniffled quietly to myself, eyes open and staring out towards the ocean before lifting up to the moon. A chill of winter blew over me, and I shivered.

I hadn't anticipated anything to happen so quickly, hence my confusion when a source of heat began creeping up on me from behind. It brought with it magnificent light. My eyes darted to the ground, where I could see my own shadow distorting beneath the stimulation's mercy.

What could it have been? Maria, again? My grandfather's spirit come back to say everything that he still needed to say?

I felt myself being turned over so that I was facing the sky. The electric sensation immediately gave away the hand's owner. Shadow looked back at me, his red eyes prominent against glowing silver fur.

The moment our gazes connected, his expression changed from that of concern to something much more fragile. He bent forward, his face almost grazing mine, as he carefully slipped his hands under my body and hoisted me into his arms. The Ultimate Life Form was cradling me now.

I was a bit taken aback when he said nothing, and instead flew away from the building with me in tow. I lay limply against him, warmed and comforted by his aura. There was nothing left in me to make exclamations, or ask questions. I couldn't even find the motivation to tell him about Eggman, and how I defeated him through Chaos. Once the feeling of weightlessness reached me, I draped an arm behind his neck and clamped onto him tightly.

We began moving gently through the sky. I knew Shadow was capable of greater speeds, but he seemed to know better than to challenge me in my state.

My eyes fell shut, and I breathed deeply, listening to the small sounds beneath us. None of them sounded like people.

When I opened my eyes to see again, I found that we were beyond Station Square, and instead in a wooded area. Sparsely wooded, given the urban location, but still a wide contrast to the concrete jungle we'd freed ourselves from.

Shadow set me upon a sheet of grass, feet first, and slowly released me to see if I could stand. I wobbled a bit, held to him for balance, but eventually I found myself upright and stable. He took a step back, and I followed in his manner. We both spent a long time just looking at the other.

The hedgehog had many questions, but I doubted he knew how to ask any of them. Just thinking of them now distressed me, hearing him say them might have ruined our final moment together.

I stilled, my eyebrows slanting. Was this our final moment?

"Rachel..." the hedgehog breathed, his energy whirring.

"This is the last time we'll ever see each other."

_Well I guess that's my answer._

I couldn't control myself. I ran at him with the force of several men and tackled him to the ground in a ferocious hug. He lay now with me atop him while I bawled uncontrollably. My dignity was in shambles, but at this point I didn't give much of a shit.

Shadow's hands maneuvered to my back, where he gently rubbed and traced circles with his soft, almost ticklish fingertips. If he was a teenage girl, he might have understood my reaction a bit better. But at least I knew he understood at all, even if it was just a tiny inkling.

When I finally regained myself, I pulled away, holding myself up by my hands on the dirt and stared back at him with tear-filled eyes. I then backed off completely, sheepishly, beginning to feel embarrassed for behaving so childishly.

I ceased all movement when Shadow actually brought me back into his arms, returning my affection with an equally strong embrace. My face molded against the crook of his shoulder, twisted with sadness.

"You're going to forget me. aren't you?"

It wasn't a question. It was the truth. Shadow tensed before sighing and pulling me even closer into him.

"How would you know that?"

"You're going to live forever..." I breathed, starting to cry again. "A lot of things happen in forever. But I..."

I remembered my own mortality, and came to the realization that I, unlike him, would not be around for an eternity. Whatever time I had left to live, I would never again go a day without his name and face crossing my mind at least twice.

"I won't ever forget you."

It came out dramatic and overly emotional, but it was how I felt, and I couldn't undermine it no matter how badly I wanted to. Shadow responded by bringing his face back so that we could stare at each other again. A few seconds of silence passed. Either Shadow was unsure of what to say, because he knew I was right, or he figured having a moment of quiet would be better than having both of us reduced to sobbing messes.

He lifted his hand to my face, wiping away a single tear with his thumb. It burned in the best way imaginable.

His fingers grazed to my chin, the energy springing at my nerves. He carefully pulled it down so that he could bend forward and plant a kiss against my forehead.

My eyes squeezed shut, as I fought hard not to ruin everything with any distinctive cry.

"I love you."

And then, I relaxed a bit. Everything suddenly made sense.

After hearing the hedgehog say so many terrible things to me, most of them provoked by my own hatred...after fighting against him and swearing him my arch nemesis...after expressing our separate disdain for the other in different ways while being scattered across the cosmos...

Those three words, said in such a calm, genuine way, made me aware of something inevitable.

I wanted this all along and never stopped to realize it. For as long as I would live, everything exciting would pale in comparison to what me and the hedgehog had shared.

I'd been crouched, his head hovering above mine, when he carefully laid me back so that my spine fell against Earth like it were a pillow.

"Just relax..."

"Shadow..." I sighed, tears seeping down the sides of my face. "I don't want to lose you just yet."

"Relax..."

I tried protesting harder, but I felt myself being lulled into slumber. I lay flat across the ground.

He whispered now, his lights dying. His fur was fading to black.

"Relax..."

I lay there for another solid minute, my eyes not doing so much as cracking to see if Shadow was still there. I could sense his presence through heat and light alone. Even in the dead of winter, it comforted me. He wasn't going anywhere. Not yet. That would change in due time.

I wanted to spend more time speaking with him. Understanding him a bit better, and letting him understand me. We deserved it more than anything.

But alas, sleep claimed me.

And that was the last I ever saw of Shadow.

* * *

><p><em>"Grandpa?"<em>

_"Yes...Rachel? What is it?"_

_..._

_"You told me a story last night about someone who's really bad. Someone who hurt you. It made me very angry."_

_"Ah yes, I remember that. I'm surprised you remember it too."_

_"Of course I do! It was such a sad story, and even you just saying the bad guy's name will give me heebie jeebies! So don't say it."_

_"Hahaha. Rachel, I understand. Why do you bring it up now, though? You should be getting ready to go home. Your parents are waiting outside."_

_..._

_"I know. I was thinking about everything you said...about him being a monster."_

_"Right."_

_"I wondered: How come your friend Maria played with a monster?"_

_..._

_"It wasn't clear at that time just how dangerous he really was."_

_"I'm sure it wasn't. Because a monster lives in all of us, and his just didn't have claws yet."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"I'm saying everyone has a monster inside them. Mama told me that a long time ago."_

_..._

_"Your mother is absolutely right. But you must also keep in mind that it does not ever excuse their actions. If we forgave all monsters, the world would be an evil place."_

_"I know. I don't think all monsters should get to say sorry."_

_"Exactly."_

_"But-"_

_..._

_"But?"_

_"Maybe if there's a monster in everyone, there's an angel hidden in there too."_

_"...An angel?"_

_"Yeah! And for some people the angel and monster inside them are fighting."_

_"What are you saying, Rachel? That Shadow the Hedgehog has an angel in him?"_

_..._

_"You said the name!"_

_"I'm sorry. It just slipped out._

_"Well no, I don't think that. I think his angel fell."_

_"Do you think it can get back up?"_

_..._

_"I don't know."_

_"Well I don't, either."_

_"After all..."_

_"Hm?"_

_..._

_"It's not easy learning how to fly again."_

* * *

><p>White.<p>

The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was white.

The first sound I heard was idle beeping not far from me.

Although I was not bound, I found it difficult to move. My body was incredibly tired, and the cot I lay upon was too inviting with its comfort for me to willingly disperse from.

The only thing that fidgeted was my eyelids, and in no time my neck started to do the same.

"You're awake!"

Slowly, I lolled my head over towards the feminine voice that my attention targeted, and found my mother rising from a chair. She wore an ear-splitting smile. To her right was my father, who did the same, grasping onto her shoulder as they hurried to my side.

"Mom...Dad..."

They both exchanged glances of immense relief before looming over me.

"It's so good to see you moving. How are you, sweetie?"

I smiled back, genuinely, picking myself up a bit so that I could sit. "I'm fine, I-"

Gently, my mother grabbed my arm and eased me before I could try and clamber out of the bed. I looked to the other arm when I felt something restricting it, and noticed an IV needle plunged into a vein.

"Wait. I'm in the hospital?"

"Yes. Yes you are, in fact."

My mother knelt down and kissed me on the cheek, causing me to sigh through my nose. I'd underestimated how much I missed her.

"And you're going to be okay?"

Sure, but despite being _okay,_ everything was still immensely foggy. I used my free hand to rub the side of my head while Mother retreated to the doorway. "You have some friends here that would like to see you. Now isn't a bad time, is it?"

I smiled sheepishly, worried less about how I felt and more about how I looked at the moment. It must've been ugly, but it was less crippling and more a nuisance dawdling in the back of my head.

"Not really."

Without missing a beat, the older woman giggled to herself before opening the door and beckoning unseen visitors towards her.

"She's up, everyone! Come see!"

I'm not sure who I was expecting to walk into the room, but when Sonic, then Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Travis, and Emma filed through the door like it were a party, I began questioning what kind of drugs the staff had put me on.

"Woah..."

In everyone's hands were ornate balloons that sparkled beneath the fluorescent lighting, all adorned in reassuring messages that urged me towards speedy recovery. However, unlike the others, Sonic and Tails were holding flower bouquets, yellow and blue, respectively, that they set on a nearby table where Amy and Knuckles gathered to place a stack of Get Well Soon cards.

Travis successfully ruined the intimate moment by blowing through a tiny horn sprinkled with different colors.

"Happy New Years, sis!"

Emma elbowed him immediately. "Wow. Way to have the worst timing ever."

My pursed lips began to tremble while I fought back unnecessarily loud laughter. But in the end, I lost the battle, and ended up chuckling out loud while a few others joined my chorus. "I really, _really _missed you guys."

Emma and Travis took each other's hands and hurried to my bedside, the latter tying a balloon around my wrist with careful precision. The end result was a loose and twisted ribbon, but it sufficed just fine. "We missed you too," the pair said simultaneously.

I grinned before admitting shyly, "I missed all of you..." my eyes danced from one face to the next. "And I can't wait to be home."

Suddenly, both of my parents shot each other worried glances.

"...About that...uh..."

A vision of my house going up in smoke plagued me instantly. It probably wasn't far from reality, either. I realized the problem before another word was said, and stopped them dead in their tracks.

"What I meant was...I can't wait to be uh...in a room with you guys again. A room that's not...this one...heh..."

"Smooth," Travis stated with half-lidded eyes.

The moment was insanely sweet and satisfying in more ways than I could ever fathom. It may not have been the most ideal of situations, but it might have still been the happiest and most rewarding moment of my life. However, the more I remembered my recent past through short flashbacks the more my expression grayed. I thought of Shadow, Eggman, and my grandfather. My mood instantly soured.

"How did I get here, anyway?"

From the corner of the room, Sonic parted through his friends and held a hand up.

"I brought you here last night, to make sure you were okay."

I bit my tongue to keep me from asking anything more. With people listening, it would've been a bad move.

"Guys..." I stared everyone down individually, and in a rather awkward fashion. "I'm sorry but...is it alright if I talk with Sonic alone right quick?"

At first, nobody moved, but soon enough they all showed that they understood by carefully heading for the door.

"We'll be right outside," Mom said, ushering the twins out while Dad followed behind. She blew a kiss my way.

Amy and Tails grinned and waved weakly, while Knuckles simply smiled in acknowledgement.

"Get well soon!" Amy called.

And then, they were all gone. The door slammed, leaving Sonic and I alone.

He didn't say anything right away. He took sudden interest in the linings of his gloves, before he took a seat in the chair my mom had been in previously and scooted it closer to the bed. I noticed the screen monitoring my heartbeat began forming pixelated mountains. Hiding my nervousness was impossible.

"Where did you find me?"

Sonic's gaze was so intense I had to keep myself from looking away. He quit fiddling with his hands and gave me his full attention. "Outside the city in a small forest area."

I remembered that. "Was Shadow still with me?"

"Yes."

A knot formed in my throat, and I swallowed it back.

"Where did he go?"

Finally, Sonic's eyes escaped mine and he scanned random things around the room. "I'm not sure where he is on the planet now, but I know he doesn't intend to stay for much longer."

The feeling of a sinking heart was brutal. Shadow was going to leave Earth, and there was nothing I could say or do to prevent it from happening. "Is he coming back?"

I couldn't help but bombard the hedgehog with questions that kept popping out the slot like gumballs. An explosion was creeping up on me. I couldn't melt down. Not here. Not in front of everyone.

"I honestly can't say for sure."

**No,** was what he was trying to say. But he knew better than to tell me that now and cause upset. I slumped back a little, inhaling.

"Did you find my grandpa?"

"Yes. I did."

His tone only solidified what I already knew. Grandpa was dead. But knowing that the body had been recovered, that someone actually saw him in his aftermath, made my stomach curdle. Sonic's head tilted to the side, as if his energy was lacking.

"His funeral is a few days from now. You think you can make it?"

"I know I can..." my legs twitched beneath the white hospital sheets. The rippling on the surface was almost hypnotic.

"What I don't know is what I'm supposed to do now."

Sonic was ready to interject when I shot my head up and glared at him.

"I'm not the same person I once was...so what can I do about it now? Do I give myself to scientists to prod at? Do I get a therapist? Do I go back to school and pretend it never happened? What about people confronting me? What if I have an episode? What if I hurt someone accidentally?"

Another barrage. I knew Sonic wouldn't have any efficient responses, but hearing my own turmoil said aloud was relieving in a strange way.

"You can do whatever you want to, Rachel. You're free now. That's what's most important."

I clutched the front of my shirt, feeling my heart beat beneath pale knuckles. _Am I?_

"Also, there's something I need to give you."

As he crossed the room, he explained himself further, "I didn't think doing it in front of your family would work the way I wanted it to, so I decided to wait until we had a moment like this." Sonic reached inside the thick, azure bouquet he'd delivered prior and dove his hand in between the stems. From them, he scooped out a green Chaos Emerald. I couldn't help but gasp.

He then approached me once again and placed it in my lap lovingly, tucking it against my stomach. I slowly placed a single hand over it, feeling every crevice.

"Shadow wanted you to have it."

My eyes fluttered.

"He said, if anyone deserves it, it's you. 'It's been you all along.' I'm not sure what he meant by that, though."

I smiled, for I knew what he meant. I wanted to thank Sonic, but instead I remained quiet, at a loss for words and too busy toying with the Emerald like it were my child.

Sonic nodded once, stepping away and formally dismissing himself. "I'm going to go check on the others. If you need anything, just holler."

Before he was completely out of the room, he turned and smiled.

"It really is good to have you back."

Then he was gone.

Alone with my own thoughts, I was silent, still, stone-faced while turning the Chaos Emerald over and over, wanting to see every part of it while engraving its makeup into my brain. Eventually, my eyes became distant, my memories fazing me one by one in discombobulated fashion.

I started laughing.

So hard that the sound cancelled out and all I'd been reduced to was a shaking form. I took a loud breath and released another, this one slightly louder before the vocals were cut altogether. My head was thrown back.

When I went to take another breath, the sound that followed was not laughter. It was a sob.

I was crying.

Even harder than I'd been laughing.

It was also silent.

My hands left the Emerald and instead reached forward and curled around my legs, bringing them forward so I could bury my face in between my knees. I was wracking, panting, angry that my own selfish desires had gone unanswered.

To meditate, I started to hum. A song with a rocky melody, but it would have to do.

Shadow would forget me, if he hadn't already. Everything that happened between us would disappear in smoke, especially when I refused to share with anyone the story that mattered so much to me on deep, intimate levels. He'd live another thousand years without my name so much as ghosting through his mind, while I would carry this with me for the rest of my days.

It was unfair.

I hated it.

I loved him.

The beeping started to slow as I calmed myself, the music smoothing out. My head turned over towards a window sheathed by red curtains. I knew beyond them, somewhere in the world, Shadow was alive. And soon, he'd be outside the world. Alive. Forever.

I would be here.

Forever.

Remembering him.

Forever.

We were never meant for it to come this far. We were meant to always be enemies. We were never supposed to fall for one another.

But we did.

It ended catastrophically.

That monster. That angel.

He would follow me forever.

Just like a shadow.

_Exactly_ like a shadow.

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**(Shadow's POV)**

Above the rooftop, I sat with my legs swinging from the edge. A wind blew, tussling my quills, and I took a deep breath. A snow had begun to fall, the flakes clinging to my body in tiny sprites.

The girl's shadow perfectly displayed her emotions like a puppet from behind the curtain. One second, her mouth was open, her neck hung back as she laughed, before melting forward as she became a giant, quivering blob of black.

She was crying now.

And then I heard her voice moving like a ribbon with the world, producing a mesmerizing sound. I smirked to myself.

_She would be okay._

I finally stood, turned on my heel and headed for another building. I was ready to challenge the city's mappings and charge my way out of here. I intended to never look back.

The moon glowed from overhead, plump, but only half so. I shot it a wary glance, smiling to myself before taking my first few steps.

Before I made a leap, I sighed once more and paused, idling in place.

The weather held still when my voice broke it in two.

"I'll never forget you either, Rachel."

Chaos had shown me its mercy. I didn't lose anything in the process of becoming myself again. Certain emotions were subdued, but everything else was just as vibrant as ever, and I had no other desire than to keep it that way for as long as I lived.

I knew better than to anchor myself to her. If I kept coming back, if I kept rekindling any sort of flame between us, it'd be impossible for her to move forward with me as a constant burden. I wanted to communicate this terribly so that she would understand, but it'd only make coping harder for both of us. I'd long left my mark. Something once shaped so jaggedly had softened at the edges. It was her turn to live on as a regular human girl, and my turn to trek the universe in search of a newer purpose.

So it was goodbye.

_...For now._

And with that, I disappeared into the night, far away from her. She grew smaller and smaller behind me until she was nothing. It was bittersweet.

I knew in my heart that my words were true.

It was a promise I'd spend forever keeping.

* * *

><p>The End<p> 


	36. Final Author's Note

(A/n)

Hey everyone!

I'm writing this right after wrapping up the story. It didn't make sense for me to shoehorn it into the final chapter, since I didn't really know how long I'd make it. So I'm making it its own separate one. Yay? Yay!

Alright so...

Boy, where do I even begin.

Let me just marvel real quick on how I absolutely clutched this shit. I'm surprised I pulled through.

Now that I've reached this point, it's really hard finding the right words to say. So sorry if I straight up start waffling. It's 8 AM and I haven't slept, though, that doesn't mean much considering how late I woke up the day prior. I'm just going to lay it all out while I still can. I have a bit of last minute holiday shopping to do soon, and then I'm going to sleep for a bit and then participate in Christmas party shenanigans.

Also, I'm writing this from my bathroom because why the hell not. I think better in there.

So I started We Will Always Be Enemies (damn that's a mouthful) in 2011. I was fifteen at the time. Sonic the Hedgehog was one of my favorite fictional characters and I would spend hours reading different fanfiction stories with him and co. It all held a very special place in my heart, and nostalgia plays a big part in that. Some of my best memories involve the childlike wonder of playing Sonic's video games.

I've had a love affair with Shadow the Hedgehog since I was first introduced to him by accident, while flipping channels one Saturday morning and seeing his cartoon face glare at me like I owed it money. Something about him really captivated me. Sure, he was a color swap of Sonic, but I felt there was more to him than that and the mystery intrigued me. The more I learned about him, the more I fell in love with the character for reasons I sort of shake my head at now. One thing that really stood out to me was his relationship with Maria, and how much he loved that girl.

I had to create someone new for him to love on my own because I knew the canon universe would never do that for me. At first I wanted to fill in Maria's role with Helen from Sonic X. Blonde haired, blue eyed, sweet girl who suffers from health issues. I realized though that I wasn't sure how to write a story with a girl in a wheelchair. So I settled for the next best option, create an OC from scratch. Oh yeah and while we're at it make them kiss, because why the fuck not!

I'd been writing fanfiction for a short while when I first submitted this story to the website and was SUPER amateur. So much so that I've gone back and revised pretty much every chapter. Fun Fact: I can't remember what number it is, but the chapter where they escape Tragaria is the only one that hasn't been edited. The truth is, I DID go through the whole thing and tweak stuff here and there. Problem was, I was doing it in in a car while on an eight hour drive, where I get extreme motion sickness from looking at screens. I accidentally didn't save the document, and at that point was too sick and angry to try it again. Maybe some day, though I probably won't count on it.

Anyway, I can actually remember uploading chapter two, waiting a day, and then coming back completely floored by the fact that I'd gotten two reviews. TWO REVIEWS. CHRISTMAS CAME EARLY. Slowly over time, it started to garner more and more attention, and I was so happy to be writing for more than just my own satisfaction. People enjoyed it, and were actually waiting for new chapters. I had an audience! People who frequented the story and sent me such lovely PMs and boosted my ego through the roof. It was such an exciting thing for me, and probably why this story became as long as it is. I love writing, and having people who read the story made me love it more.

I reread the whole thing at least twice in the eight months I'd been M.I.A. There were things I noticed that I wanted to include in the final draft, and I might have missed them. But overall I'm incredibly satisfied with the way it's ended. Not the best of endings, but at the same time I'm not the best of authors. I'm not a professional, I'm a learner, and hope to keep it that way for a long time.

The story began with a girl that was younger than me, and slowly I outgrew her and am now three years her senior. In that time, I've seen such a significant change in the way I write, and noticed how easy it is for me to do without burning out as quickly. Seriously, if you want to get better, just keep practicing. I can't stress that enough.

I know there were a lot of things that may have been unclear as far PLOT goes, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in a review or PM me. I will answer them as soon as I see them. Reviews in general are also appreciated, though at this time I've completely stopped enforcing them. 404? SERIOUSLY?! It's like that Knife Party song! You guys are the absolute best.

Now that a near four year journey is over, I honestly don't know what to think. It's incredibly surreal. I know I've expressed this many times, but I'm amazed at how much I've changed throughout this story, both within it and beyond, and in that regard it's very special to me. But it's also special in so many other ways, and you guys played a major part in that.

Will I ever write another Sonic fiction? Mm, I'm not sure to be honest. A lot of other things that I'd like to write about have sparked my interest. I have a current Breakfast Club reimagining that I have going, and it's Sonic oriented, but given it can't be considered my own story material, I find it hard to consistently write for.

I'm curious what will happen now. Will more people read it now that it says "complete" in the description? Will I follow suit and actually finish every story I make from now on?

All I know is, whatever lies in store, I'm looking forward to it. Despite there being so many things about the story I wish I could change, I regret absolutely none of them.

Alright . Obituary over.

This isn't the best fanfiction you'll ever read, nor the most popular, but it is an absolute treasure to me. Not because of the content, but because of the journey. I can't help but be overdramatic about it. Thank you all so much for riding this rollercoaster with me. It means the world to me in more ways than you can imagine. I'd cry if I weren't so tired.

Merry Christmas to all of you!

Have a Happy New Years!

And again, thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

-FIN


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